Pokemon X & Y: Flight of a Legend
by Cottonmouth25
Summary: In response to a challenge, Volan aims to scour Kalos with only the help of Flying Pokemon. But as he heads toward the League, the future looks uncertain. A past war, an ultimate weapon, a girl with a dark past, and something ominous lurking inside of him… Volan must team up with his friends and save Kalos from the greatest threat it has ever faced – himself. "ToaL" sequel. HIATUS.
1. Prologue

**_Prologue_**

 **Salutations, greetings, and many great hellos! Are you all ready for the EPIC sequel to my previous story, "Pokemon Black & White: Tale of a Legend"? Of course you are!**

 **Before we begin, some words about the story in general…**

 **Firstly, this story is going to be exploring some more mature themes. Depending on how far it goes,** **I might even change the story's rating to M** **. But that's a long way off – there's going to be a forwards progression in the relationship between Volan and Caitlin, a new rival that has even less empathy for others than Paul of DP fame, exploration of the subject of Pokephilia, and even the death of a major character. I'm just warning you so that you readers are prepared.**

 **Secondly, I do not own the Pokemon franchise. If I did, all of this would be canon and it would have its own anime series.**

 **Thirdly… let's get on with it!**

-.-.-.-.-.

 **Three Thousand Years Ago**

The final battle was over, the Kalos War brought to an end. The sky was heavily overcast, with thick black clouds quenching whatever light may have otherwise illuminated the wasteland below. When light did eventually fall upon the dead, lifeless earth, it was blood-red and came from a pair of beating wings as their owner passed through.

Today, Yveltal, Goddess of Death and Destruction, was in a bad mood.

The source of her bad mood, you might ask? Humans. Which seemed to be becoming a trend these past few millennia.

It was bad enough that they always screamed and ran and prayed to Arceus whenever she flew by like she was the next coming of Giratina or something. It was downright insulting whenever their myths and legends passed down through the generations referred to her as _male_ (although she thought it was hilarious that her brother Xerneas tended to be portrayed as _female_ whenever he popped up in their little fictions).

But this war had been way over the line for Yveltal. Causing widespread loss of life and environmental damage was HER job, damnit! Leave it to the humans to consider themselves so far above their station that they started usurping positions usually withheld by Legendary Pokemon.

 _One of these days, I'm going to have to knock them down a few pegs,_ Yveltal growled to herself, swooping down to better observe the blackened wasteland that was all that remained of the battle that ended the Kalos War.

The war had lasted a very long time when compared to other wars that Yveltal had heard about. This was the first time she had been awake to witness one, and initially, she had loved it. Massive armies of humans stabbing each other with swords was surprisingly entertaining, and as the Kalos War progressed, she had looked on with fascination as their weapons and tactics became more diverse in their attempt to outdo the opposing side.

However, Yveltal started seeing what an effect the war was having on the environment. Entire forests were cut down to make room for strongholds and fortresses, Pokemon were captured en masse and drafted into the human armies, farmlands were decimated…

As much as Yveltal loved destruction, she had to admit that this was going too far. Nothing good could come out of this if the humans continued fighting amongst themselves.

Fortunately, though, one of the human kings had built a surprisingly elaborate machine – an impressive accomplishment considering the technologically mundane state of the human civilization at this point in time – and used it to wipe out the entire opposing army. If that wasn't a victory, Yveltal didn't know what was.

She descended down to earth and folded her wings when her talons hit the bare soil. Immediately upon being exposed to her presence, those few weeds that had started to grow amidst the desolation withered and crumbled to dust. It was difficult to see in such darkness, as the clouds overhead refused to part, but Yveltal's piercing blue eyes nevertheless saw all. The great Legendary Pokemon stared out at the blackened plain, seeing how weapons and armor and dead bodies still littered its surface. For once in her life, the sight of such destruction made her beak twist into a bitter scowl.

 _Humans,_ she thought with disgust.

A flower abruptly bloomed at her feet, and she stomped on it without paying it much attention. But then it popped up again, causing her to take pause and actually glance down at the little eyesore.

"Great," Yveltal muttered aloud in Pokemon-speak. "Like my mood couldn't get any worse. What do you want, Xerneas?"

She turned around to sourly regard the magnificent stag. He was standing in a ray of light that had just _happened_ to break through the cloud cover directly above him, causing his crystalline horns to sparkle blindingly with every color of the rainbow. A lesser Pokemon would've dropped to its knees and bowed down at the sight of the God of Life.

Yveltal, though, thought that she did dramatic entrances much better than him, with a bone-chilling battle cry and lasers of death everywhere.

"No need to be so rude," Xerneas admonished her. "I came for the same reason you did. The war is over and Kalos has paid the price."

"What's got your antlers in a twist?" she snorted. "Oh, right, you're just sore that you have to work double-time to regrow everything from the ground up."

"It's my _duty_ to do so when the balance tips too far in your favor," snapped Xerneas.

"Yeah, and it's _mine_ to blast everything in sight when the opposite happens," Yveltal smirked, enjoying the sight of his irritation. "At least my job is occasionally fun. It must be horribly boring to spend all of eternity _gardening_. No wonder you're always so cranky."

Xerneas lifted an elegant leg to take a challenging step closer to his sister Legendary, but froze when a high-pitched sound interrupted his snappy retort.

"Wululululululu!"

A small green thing wiggled out from behind a nearby rock and hopped into a position directly between the Pokemon of Life and Death. Upon sighting it, Xerneas reflexively pulled his leg back as if it had been burned. Yveltal, too, reacted adversely, backing away from the green thing like it was carrying a dangerous plague.

 _Stop bickering, the two of you!_ the creature scolded through the use of telepathy. _We are unimpressed with your childish behavior!_

"What are you doing here?" inquired Yveltal, hoping the thing would just go away.

 _To tell you what to do, of course!_ it said bitingly. _The humans have destroyed the balance we have worked so hard to protect. Xerneas, you will tend to Kalos until it has fully healed. Yveltal, away with you. We order you to find a secluded spot in which to hibernate, so that we are sure you will not bring any further destruction._

The look in Yveltal's eyes could have melted iron. "It's just one thing after another today," she muttered. "I haven't felt this mad since Xerneas told me I slept through the K/T event."

Off to the side, the corners of Xerneas' mouth twitched upwards.

Ignoring him, Yveltal opened her wings, causing an invisible wave of death that destroyed the flowers that were blooming around Xerneas. She took off powerfully, soon leaving the wasteland behind as she headed toward the mountains where her favorite hibernation spot was. It was a bit early to sleep, as her life span still had a few hundred years left to go, but it wasn't like she could disobey a direct order from a being literally called "the Order Pokemon".

Down on the ground, Xerneas and the green thing watched silently as the red glow of their avian companion disappeared over the horizon. Slowly, the flowers that she had destroyed began to sprout anew, exposed once more to his life-giving aura.

"I am glad you sent her away," the God of Life admitted. "My work will be easier now that I do not have to proverbially look over my shoulder to ensure she is not causing chaos elsewhere."

The little speck of green at his feet glared up at him with its single, piercing eye. _Are you still here? We have ordered you to restore balance to Kalos, a task that will most likely take you several thousand years, so you had best get started right away! Hop to it!_

Somewhat miffed, Xerneas wrinkled his snout and bounded away, almost seeming to float gracefully through the air with every leap. The ray of light he had been standing in faded away until there was no light left, although the colorful patch of flowers remained.

Now alone, the tiny creature lifted its head and closed its eyes, willing its mind to travel vast distances until it had reached the one with which it desired to communicate.

 _We have seen to it that the rebirth of this land is in progress,_ it mentally reported. _We will repair the parts that are in most dire need, but will leave the rest to Xerneas._

After a second, a new voice replied from many miles away. _Was this not the disaster spoken of in prophecy?_

 _No,_ the creature denied. _The Crisis has yet to come. We will carefully monitor the state of things until it becomes clear that The Crisis is upon us. Then, and only then, will we see to it that the prophecy is fulfilled._

Reassured, the second voice started to fade. _Remember the Chosen Three it speaks of…_

 _Yes,_ Zygarde, Pokemon of Order, replied. _We will not forget._

-.-.-.-.-.

 **Yes, Xerneas is male and Yveltal is female in this story. I know it's an unpopular interpretation, but that's what I've always seen them as, and my opinion won't be changing any time soon. So… just deal with it, I guess.**

 **This fic is going to be BIG. We're not even on Chapter 1 and already we're seeing stuff like "The Crisis" and "Chosen Three" and more prophecies. I'm sure you're all wondering what this means, and trust me, you're going to be getting the answers to your questions soon enough – as well as answers to questions you haven't even asked yet.**

 **Readers, please send your reviews! Let me know how hyped you are to see the new adventure finally beginning!**

 **~ Cottonmouth25**


	2. A New Story Begins

**_Chapter 1 – A New Story Begins_**

 **Heck yeah it does! Presenting… "Pokemon X & Y: Flight of a Legend"!**

-.-.-.-.-.

 **Present Day**

Almost, but not quite, two years had passed since the Battle of Vertress and the attempt by Team Plasma to rise to power.

An entire ocean's distance away from Unova, the Land of the Free and the Braviary, was the illustrious Kalos region, a unique region where technology and tradition melded perfectly together to create a modern yet historic atmosphere. Was it any wonder this place was one of the most popular tourist destinations on the entire planet? Kalos was a land of kings and queens, upholding an atmosphere of beauty and regality even in the time of the present.

There were other fun facts about Kalos. It was where the first settlers to colonize Unova had originated. It was where Dragon-type Pokemon could be found in greatest diversity and where Fairy-types had first evolved to protect themselves from such frightening and powerful predators. And it was the site of one of the most tragic disasters in the history of mankind, perhaps the only one that could be considered on par with the great extinction events of prehistoric times.

But anyway… enough history.

In the southernmost part of Kalos, there was a town called Vaniville. As the innocent name suggested, it wasn't a very large settlement – one of the smallest in the region, in fact. Surrounded by forest and supporting only a small population, all of that land had to be put to use somehow, and that use was for farming. The people of Kalos had to eat, of course, and most of that food was grown right there in Vaniville. From fruits to vegetables, from Pidgeotto eggs to Tauros steaks, the diversity of food that could be found there was simply incredible. There was scarcely any market in the entirety of Kalos where you couldn't get a Vaniville product.

Those few people that didn't own an actual farm contented themselves, oftentimes, with simple gardens. While many of them supported luscious flowers and delicious produce in their healthy soils, few were more exotic than that of one particular house, which grew plants that could not be found anywhere in Kalos. If a botanist were to visit this house, they would have immediately concluded that the garden belonged to someone of Unovan descent, and had planted such an array to remind them of their home region. Such a smorgasbord of strange and inviting plants would have normally attracted many wild Pokemon hoping to nab some morsels for themselves… unfortunately for them, though, that the house happened to be guarded by a wide variety of equally strange and much less inviting Pokemon.

This house, naturally, was inhabited by none other than the Gurei family. The plants were grown by the mother, Emily Gurei, who spent her time working at the lab in which she was employed and happily tending to her plants. The Pokemon, on the other hand – which came in many shapes and sizes but were all equally as powerful – belonged to the woman's two children.

Volantes and Thrin had revealed themselves to be incredibly talented Trainers a couple of years ago, when they had journeyed across their home region of Unova in order to compete in the local League. While only Volantes (or Volan as he was more commonly known) had made it to the famous Vertress Conference, both siblings had had a chance to prove their full strength when a notorious group of anti-League cultists called Team Plasma threatened to take over Unova. Thrin had fought alongside her friends against the strongest of Team Plasma's administration, whereas Volan had taken the fight straight to the leader and very nearly lost.

While the Battle of Vertress had been costly in terms of property damage and even in lives, it had ended on a victorious note – thanks in no small part to Volan and Thrin, known across Unova as the "Heroes of White and Black" for their pivotal role in the battle and connection to Unova's duo of Legendary dragons. Reshiram had gone into deep slumber and Zekrom had left the region entirely, so the siblings were technically retired from their 'hero' titles.

Unfortunately, though, Team Plasma had left a lot of destruction in their wake, the entirety of which happened to encompass the Gureis' hometown of Lacunosa Town. With nowhere else to go, and with a job opportunity for Emily beckoning, the family packed what little they still had and fled to Kalos.

For two years, the former heroes had adapted to the quiet life in Vaniville Town. With few Pokemon Trainers existing there, and certainly none on their lofty level, they spent their copious amounts of free time helping out with their neighbors' farms and entering Pokemon battling tournaments in the neighboring town whenever the opportunity arose. They pretty much _had_ to, in fact – their Pokemon required a lot of food to fuel that strength, and the money they got from winning battles and working in the fields was much welcome.

Today was a slow day for them, though. At the beginning of summer, there was no schoolwork, no battles, and no harvests. They were free to relax all day.

For a hot day like today, Volan and Thrin opted to stay inside where they could thrive in their air-conditioned environment. Thrin was downstairs, slumped on the couch in front of the TV. Volan, on the other hand, preferred to barricade himself in his room and play video games with his friends overseas.

Volan himself was a healthy height and weight for an eighteen-year-old, just under six feet and a hundred-fifty pounds. His favorite attire was a thin, dark blue hoodie over top of a T-shirt patterned with alternating stripes of grey and green, as well as silvery-grey athletic pants worn mostly because they didn't strangle his legs (jeans were not high on his list of favorite clothing). His semi-long brownish-blond hair was combed neatly back so it didn't obscure his face, which featured sapphire eyes framed by glasses and a mouth quirked upwards in a challenging smile.

Directly beside him as he squatted on his bed was an open laptop, its screen displaying an ongoing online chat between him and his online pals. On the opposite wall was a flat-screen TV and Wii U, currently showcasing an epic battle to the finish on _Super Slowbros_.

A beep from his laptop notified Volan of a new message. The teenager looked away from Bowstoise's brutal beatdown of Metagross Knight, and his ever-observant eyes flashed across the message's contents.

 **Stephan:** lol get flippin rekt m8

"I told you, I'm better with Groudondorf than I am with Metagross Knight," Volan laughed to himself, letting his best friend from Unova know as much in his next message.

 **Stephan:** excuses

 **Stephan:** ur jelly of my mad skillz

A second name flashed onto the discussion box.

 **Bianca:** It's like I'm not even here

 **Stephan:** u were before I pwned u 5 mins ago

 **Bianca:** Your so competitive stuven

A laugh rang throughout the room as Volan read his other friend's reply. "Oh no she didn't!"

 **Stephan:** get my name right

"She just does it to irritate you," Volan said aloud, somewhat affectionately. Stephan and Bianca's playful bantering never got old. "No-one mispronounces your name by accident anymore, so that gives her the excuse to just screw with you about it."

The two people he was currently playing and chatting with were his good friends and fellow Trainers from Unova, Stephan and Bianca. Stephan had almost won the Unova League before Team Plasma ruined it, and was now working part-time in the Driftveil City Gym. Bianca had also participated in the League, and had been employed by the famous Professor Juniper as an assistant in her lab.

Before things could get too heated between the two, Volan typed out a response to change the subject.

 **Volan:** I never got to ask you how the last day of school went for you guys.

 **Bianca:** Great!~

 **Stephan:** sucked

 **Volan:** How so? Exam wasn't that bad, was it?

 **Stephan:** Arceus damn geography

 **Bianca:** It was fine for me~

 **Stephan:** couldnt remember anythin

 **Stephan:** anything*

 **Volan:** Did you even study?

 **Stephan:** yea, no good tho, everything left my head

 **Bianca:** Poor Stephan :(

 **Stephan:** even the little things like the area of the specific ocean

Laughing again, Volan's fingers swiftly flew across the keyboard as he fired back a witty reply.

 **Volan:** Could you be more Pacific?

A moment later, Stephan sent him a picture. It was one Volan had seen before – a zoomed-in image of a grumpy Bug-type Pokemon's face and the caption "Swadloon is not amused" written underneath.

 **Stephan:** dont even

 **Bianca:** Lol! That was good Volan :P

Suddenly, a sharp knock came at the door, startling Volan into jerking his head away from the laptop screen in alarm. "Yes?" he called out. "Door's unlocked."

It opened, and Thrin stuck her head in. With her eyes and long ponytailed hair the exact same shade as his, it was easy to see that they were related.

"We've got a welcoming committee at the door," she reported to her older brother. "Remember, we're supposed to meet them at the usual spot in Aquacorde Town?"

Only now did Volan remember that. Several years ago, he would've scoffed at anyone that told him he'd be making a bunch of new friends in a foreign region, but he wasn't the same person anymore. He had been polite and accepting of the people that had first reached out to him and Thrin to welcome them to Kalos, and before he knew it, they were spending time together regularly – whether it was studying or just hanging out.

But Aquacorde Town? They only went there for special occasions.

"Be there in a second," Volan said to Thrin. She nodded and left, her footsteps audible as she hurried back downstairs to the main foyer.

 **Volan:** Gotta fly. Something just came up.

 **Bianca:** Awwww no fair

 **Stephan:** catch u latr man

 **Bianca:** Byeeeeeee

 **Volan:** I'll be on again tomorrow if you want to continue our game. Bye.

With that done, the Gurei boy slammed the laptop closed and jumped out of bed, making sure to turn off his television before he left the room entirely. He flew down the stairs in his rush to catch up with Thrin, and in his haste, he ended up almost tripping over one of his Pokemon that lay at the bottom of the stairs.

The Unfezant, his beloved Starter and closest companion Bernice, stretched out her wings with a yawn and woke up from her nap, glaring at him for his stupidity.

"Yes, I should've been more careful," sighed Volan, deferring to her. "But we're heading off to Aquacorde Town now, if you want to tag along."

"Unfez, fezant Unfeeeezant!" Bernice squawked, unimpressed. At least, that was how it would've sounded to anyone else, but not Volan. Instead of an unintelligible series of squawks, he heard a perfectly audible voice snap, " _That's the emergency? I'd hate to think of how you'd wake me up if an angry Groudon was banging on the door._ "

Rolling his eyes, Volan shot back, "I'm pretty sure that'd wake you up just fine."

Oh yes, that was another thing. Volan could, indeed, talk to Pokemon. It was an ability accidentally granted to him by Reshiram, who had given up a portion of her life energy to heal his injuries after the Battle of Vertress. It had resulted in a loss of power significant enough to revert her to a lesser form, as well as give Volan a brand-new perspective of the world of Pokemon. The catch was that he could only understand Pokemon that he had formed enough of a bond with – at this point, this category included both his and Thrin's entire teams.

In particular, there was Bernice the Unfezant. She had been attached at the hip with Volan since practically the day he was born, and even before he could interpret her every word, they had developed an understanding that allowed them to operate in sync. They connected on a level that most Trainers could only dream of reaching with their own Pokemon. Bernice was there for Volan in his darkest hours, and Volan was there for her in hers. Whenever they had lost a challenging battle and Bernice felt as though she had let him down, Volan would tell her that she was not to blame and that they would train harder to make up for it. During moments when Volan had lost all hope of moving forward, or when fighting a battle that they could not afford to lose, Bernice would come through for him.

Volan owed his success as a Trainer largely to Bernice. Back when he was too young to be an official Trainer, and when she was but a humble Pidove, they'd engage in unofficial battles with their peers to test out what they knew and practice their tactics for the day they'd be old enough to compete in the Unova region's Pokemon League. Eventually, their teamwork was nigh unbeatable. It was only a particularly devastating loss that managed to break the confidence the pair had built up over the years. Even to this day, neither of them could look back on that loss without feeling a stab of pain – Bernice had been forcefully knocked out and severely injured, something that was fine in official battles but strictly forbidden amongst non-Trainers – and Volan had been ridiculed by the assailant as well as, to a lesser extent, the spectators.

Ultimately, despite what it did to their self-esteem at the time – and in the longer term, Volan's ability to trust others, which had only recently begun to flourish again – the terrible ordeal only served to bring the two closer together. It was like a symbol of their devotion to one another.

" _I guess I'll come,_ " Bernice decided now, stretching out her wings with a slight yawn. " _There's nothing better to do, anyway._ "

Thrin suddenly appeared again, in full view this time as she came running up to the staircase from the neighboring hall. Similar to Volan, she wore a hoodie and T-shirt, only they were colored pink and blue respectively. Instead of pants, she had a comfortable pair of khaki shorts on, and unlike her brother she did not wear glasses.

"Oh good, you're here!" she exclaimed. "Trevor's here to pick us up."

The boy to which she was referring poked his head around the corner, obviously nervous with his position as the guest in a foreign home. His short, scrawny frame, timid expression, and the orange bowl of hair that framed his face always reminded Volan of a Ralts.

"H-Hello Volan," Trevor greeted in his native language, Kalosian. "A-Are you coming with me to Aquacorde?"

"Yes, just give me a second," Volan confirmed, changing his speech to Kalosian as well and thanking Arceus that he was bilingual. "Bernice is coming with us too. What about you, Thrin? Are you bringing anyone?"

She shook her head. "No, I already asked them," she replied. "And Oliver's out on an errand for Mom, remember?"

They headed out to Aquacorde Town only a minute or so later. It was only a thirty-minute walk due north through the large gates on the only edge of town that wasn't bordered by forest, down a paved road that wound through a grove of trees and bushes that was more like a community garden than anything. The likely reason for the two neighboring towns to have been built closely together was for the farmers' convenience – they could easily drive their goods into town and drop them off at the markets without much work. From Aquacorde, the majority of the produce would then be shipped to the various settlements across Kalos, and even beyond.

When Volan, Thrin, Trevor, and Bernice got there, they found that Aquacorde was as lively as ever. While significantly larger and more populous than Vaniville Town, it was still a modest little settlement. In many ways, it reminded Volan of Lacunosa Town. It was a town where you could walk or jog almost anywhere within two hours, and without having to worry about heavy traffic or crowds of people. Aquacorde was big enough to support itself, yet small enough to feel welcoming. There were no skyscrapers or public transport – just nice paved sidewalks and brick houses.

The journey ended outside a large café, one that Volan and his companions were very familiar with. The tables outside were situated right next to a short brick wall that allowed guests to eat and socialize with a perfect view of the town square below them. The table closest to the edge was already occupied by a collection of familiar faces. The Gurei siblings were friends with all of these people, who attended the same school as they did and had made the Unovans feel welcome in their new environment. It had actually been Trevor that befriended them first, then gradually introduced them to his other friends. Now, they were a tight-knit group that did almost everything together.

"Hey, it's Trevs!" cried the largest of the gang, Tierno. He reminded Volan of Stephan, with his enthusiasm and his… ah, body type. The difference was that Tierno wasn't as easily fired up as Stephan was, and he was surprisingly nimble and light on his feet, with a great feel for rhythm.

"S-Sorry I couldn't make it here earlier," Trevor apologized, slipping into his seat next to Tierno. The two were best pals, that much was obvious. It was an ironic duo – the tiny, timid Trevor and the big, bombastic Tierno.

"Don't worry about it, Trevor," smiled Calem. He was calm and collected, which seemed to balance out Trevor's nervousness and Tierno's spontaneity. Volan had not been surprised to learn that Calem was quite popular in school, with such a likeable personality combined with his good looks.

"You brought Volan and Thrin, too!" Tierno enthused, waving to them.

"It's nice to hang out with you guys again now that school's all done," sighed Thrin, helping herself to a chair on the large boy's other side.

"What's this all about?" Volan asked, looking from one person to the next questioningly. He sat down directly across from Thrin.

Said girl pulled her chair up a little closer with an audible scrape of steel. "Yeah, what'd you call us here for?" she essentially repeated her brother's question. "All you mentioned was that it was something big."

"Oh, you'll see," Calem chuckled, greatly enjoying the suspense.

The only one of the group that had not yet spoken was Serena, who Volan vaguely remembered being related to some famous athlete (but he had never been big on sports). She was sweet and optimistic, like Bianca back home in Unova, only not to a degree that bordered on overwhelming. Brushing her long blonde hair out of the way of her eyes and adjusting the pink hat that was perched there on her head, she leaned forward with a concerned frown on her face.

"Still no sign of Shauna?" she asked to the group, who all responded with shakes of the head.

"I'm c-certain she'll show up," offered Trevor, raising a shaky hand. "Y-You know Shauna… always running a little bit late."

All of them agreed unanimously, well aware of the absentee's characteristic antics. She loved fooling around and used Pokemon names as puns, so she wasn't exactly the brightest bulb on the Lanturn.

However, seconds turned into minutes, and after ten of them had passed, it became apparent that something was really holding Shauna up. Trevor fidgeted in his seat, but there was otherwise no movement as they continued to wait.

Eventually, though, someone had to speak up.

"Alright, so will you tell us about why we're here?" questioned Thrin. "I don't think Shauna is coming anytime soon, and the suspense is killing me."

From Volan's left side, he heard Bernice open her beak with an almost excessively loud yawn.

Calem glanced at each of them in turn and saw how intently they were staring at him, and sighed in defeat. "I wanted to wait until my little sis got here, but she either got lost or never got the memo in the first place," he muttered. "If Shauna's still coming, I suppose she'll simply have to be content with arriving late…"

He turned around in his seat, exposing the back of his dark blue jacket as he dug around in his book bag, which was hanging off the back of the chair. Shortly after, he was pulling out a cylindrical container that had a perfectly clear lid and some kind of switch on the side. With an incredibly smug smile, Calem placed the container on the table for everyone to see. The contents were visible with crystal clarity – a total of six red-and-white spheres lined up in a neat row.

At the sight of the capsules, Volan and Thrin slowly grinned with anticipation.

Trevor let out a sharp breath and sat up a little straighter. He gave Calem a wide-eyed, wary look and asked, "A-Are you serious?"

"You're not kidding?" said Tierno, bouncing up and down in his seat. When he got excited, he just had to start moving. "Calem, are these actually Pokemon from Professor Sycamore's lab?"

"Not kidding," the black-haired boy confirmed, grinning at the reactions he was getting. "This is going to be Shauna's and Trevor's first summer as legal Pokemon Trainers. Tierno, Serena, and I agreed to wait to apply for our Starters until they turned fifteen – you all know this – and, well, here we are. My parents ordered them from Professor Sycamore and gave them to me this morning, so now we all get to choose."

In Unova, Volan knew, the minimum legal age for acquiring a Trainer's license was fifteen. Indeed, he had waited a whole year to go on his journey so that he and Thrin could travel together. It appeared that the same rule applied here in Kalos.

"Oh, wow!" Serena marveled. "So this is it, then!"

 _How come we didn't hear anything about this?_ Volan wondered, casting an inquisitive look at Thrin and Bernice. They shrugged in reply. _Mom works for Sycamore, I wonder why he never told her…_

Reaching into his bag again, Calem pulled out something else – a letter. "This came with the Poke Balls," he told the group.

It was Trevor who took the envelope, opened it, and unfolded the paper inside. The letter had been written in neat, elegant handwriting, most likely the professor's own. In nervous, halting tones, the orange-headed boy began to read its contents aloud for everyone to hear…

" _Dear Soon-to-be Trainers,_

 _Bonjour! As you may know, I am Professor Sycamore, the Kalos region's leading authority on Pokemon. It has come to my attention that young Trevor and Shauna have turned fifteen earlier this year, and so are eligible to become Pokemon Trainers. Awaiting you in the container I sent with Calem are six Pokemon – Chespin, Fennekin, Froakie, Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. Each of you will have the opportunity to choose one of these marvelous creatures as your first partner. Also, I have provided you with state-of-the-art Pokedexes, the latest model from Lysandre Labs. They will prove incredibly useful to you on your journeys._

 _I only ask for you to do me a small favor in return. My specialty in Pokemon research is the study of evolution – how Pokemon change form to the next stage of their life when the correct conditions are met. After two years of endless study, and thanks in no small part to several trusted volunteers, I am on the verge of a breakthrough. However, I still need a little bit more assistance before I can finalize my results. Come to my lab in Lumiose City and I will tell you more._

 _Good luck, Trainers, and please pass on my regards to the Gureis!_

 _Professor Sycamore_ "

When Trevor finished reading, there was an awed silence left behind as the others digested the information.

"Trust me, guys, there is nothing better than getting your first Pokemon!" Thrin told them, grinning. "I still remember when I got Oliver. It was the best day of my life!"

"Then what're we waiting for?!" Tierno demanded, although with ecstasy rather than ill intentions. "I'm jumpin' out of my seat! Can't we pick already?"

Nodding, Calem pressed a button on the side of the container, causing its transparent lid to slide away with a quiet yet noticeable whirr. The six Poke Balls were exposed, waiting for their contents to be released.

"Ladies first," Calem said smoothly, flashing Serena a knowing smile.

Being put on the spot like that made her blush a little. "O-Okay!" she stammered, and reached out with a trembling hand for one of Poke Balls.

It took her a while to decide. Her hand hovered over the container as she moved it back and forth to wherever her mind fancied. Each Poke Ball had a small label in front of it, indicating which Pokemon were held inside, but if anything, that small detail was making it even harder for Serena to choose.

"Any day now," said Volan. He folded his arms behind his head as he waited.

Serena was about to fire back a snappy retort when Bernice suddenly exploded into motion. She flapped her wings and trilled loudly, startling everyone present. Continuing to call urgently, she raced around Volan's seat and pointed down a nearby street with her wing.

" _Look who's coming!_ " the Unfezant cried. Of course only Volan could hear the words as they were, but everyone else could get the gist of it, too. " _It's your friend! And it looks like something bad has happened!_ "

Indeed, a blur of pink and brown came barreling into the table, stopping just shy of plowing straight through Trevor's chair. Shauna slammed her hands down on the table and panted heavily to catch her breath, horrified eyes trained straight on Calem.

"Shauna, what's wrong?!" he asked frantically, getting out of his seat. "Come on, tell me. What happened?"

"I-It's an onixpected travesty!" Shauna replied, close to panicking. "Someone's taken three kids into the woods! And they said they're seaking out the monster that lives there!"

-.-.-.-.-.

 **I get one chance to kick off a supposedly awesome story, and I botch it with video game references, Internet memes, and yes, Shauna speaks in Pokemon puns. Feel free to get the torches and pitchforks.**

 **On the plus side, we meet the XY gang, and Volan and Thrin are back, and Starter Pokemon, so yay!**

 **This story will be like "Tale of a Legend" in that it's mostly based on the games, but also incorporates anime stuff into it. However, I'll be taking a lot more inspiration from the anime than I did for "Tale of a Legend", because the XY series is just that good. This isn't going to be a retelling of Ash's adventure as told from the perspective of Volan and Thrin – but I will say that Ash and his friends are going to play a much greater role in this story, whereas they were just minor supporting characters before.**

 **Bernice: "** ** _I know how much you guys liked the previous story, so give us some reviews for this one._** **"**

 **Next chapter** **: A Foe From the Past**


	3. A Foe from the Past

**_Chapter 2 – A Foe From the Past_**

 **Last time on "Flight of a Legend"…**

 **Our retired heroes, Volan and Thrin, have moved to the tranquil farming town of Vaniville and have lived there for two years after the crisis in Unova. They've made new friends in Calem, Serena, Tierno, Trevor, and Shauna, all of whom are now, as a collective group, are now eligible to become Pokemon Trainers. On a lovely summer day, the five of them had been gifted Starter Pokemon from the local professor, but disaster struck before they could make their decisions – there were kids in danger!**

-.-.-.-.-.

"Calm down, Shauna," Calem spoke gently to his sister, easing her into an empty seat and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Deep breaths, alright? When you think you're good, tell us exactly what happened."

With an extraordinarily deep, shuddering breath, Shauna willed herself into a state of relative calm, although her hands were clasped so tightly over her knees that the knuckles had turned white. The rest of the group – consisting of Volan, Thrin, Tierno, Trevor, and Serena – looked on with the utmost concern.

"I-I was on a walk around Vaniville's outskirts," Shauna started to explain, her voice still shaky with fright. "I'd just passed Mr. Ramier's Pecha berry farm when I saw a b-bunch of people on the other side of the pasture. I got curious, so I started to head in their direction, but when I got close enough… oh, I heard the most torterrable thing!"

She started to hyperventilate and her pupils shrunk down as the panic took hold of her again, and this time it took both Calem and Serena to step in and support her until she was able to calm herself.

On the sidelines, Volan frowned. No-one knew Shauna like her brother and best friend did, so he should let them take care of this for now. But even though her Pokemon puns could get annoying, Volan would do anything in his power to help her if necessary. He knew without even sparing her the merest glance that Thrin was thinking the same thing.

"The farm that was the first to get attacked a few months ago?" Tierno asked for confirmation.

"Yes!" Shauna almost wailed. She shrugged Calem and Serena off and stood up, unable to remain sitting when she was in such a state. "One of them was about Calem or Volan's age, and the other three were, like, ten or eleven! Just little kids! I heard the older one tweezing them about something like 'being too afraid of going into the woods' and 'it only comes out at night'. Guys, don't you see?! He's taking these kids to find the monster!"

Her words were met with dead silence. The group let her words sink in, slowly comprehending the sheer magnitude of the disastrous situation they were in. Shauna normally wasn't the kind of girl to fly into a panic about something, but now that they had been brought up to speed, they thought that this was exactly the kind of thing that they all should treat with serious worry.

About a couple of months ago, a Pecha berry farm located right next to the forest surrounding Vaniville Town had been heavily raided in the middle of the night, leaving over half of the trees in bad shape. At first everyone assumed it had been a pack of pesky wild Pokemon that had stripped the trees bare of fruit, and the farmer had taken measures to ensure it wouldn't happen again – but the thief struck again the following night, avoiding all the traps and making off with the rest of the berries. After that incident, more farms had been targeted, with massive collateral damage and every scrap of fruit taken within only a few nights of each attack.

However, people hadn't started calling the mysterious creature a "monster" until it raided a Tauros farm next. It was the bones left behind that convinced them. Whatever it was, this thing was dangerous, and many residents of Vaniville Town began to live in fear of its next late-night strike.

Volan had spoken with his mother, his friends, and even his teachers about the incidents, and he deduced that the generally accepted theory was that the beast was lurking somewhere in the woods, since all the farms that had fallen victim to its thieving habits were located around or near the edge of town.

"Well then, what're we waiting for?" demanded Tierno. He pushed his chair back and stood up alongside Shauna. "If there are kids going into those woods, then it's our responsibility as Pokemon Trainers to save them!"

"B-But we've only been Trainers for literally a few minutes!" Trevor protested, hunching over in his seat as if hoping he could disappear into it.

"What should we do, then?" Serena frowned. "We can't just do nothing… can we?"

Volan stood up next, his effortless act goading the others into silence. Once she realized what he was about to do, Thrin was on her feet as well.

"Guys, you've got nothing to fear with Thrin and I around," the Gurei boy told them, determination hardening his voice. "We fought in the Unova League, we defeated Team Plasma, and we allied with Legendary Pokemon to save our home region. Our Pokemon are powerful enough to take on anything that lurks in those woods."

"Yeah, don't worry about it," Thrin grinned. "You'll all be safe if you stick with us."

" _Hear, hear!_ " agreed Bernice, although everyone else heard it as "Fez, feeeezant!"

The five newbie Trainers exchanged looks and nodded, even Trevor. How could they have forgotten? They'd all seen the news broadcasts two years ago, detailing the events of the epic Battle of Vertress and spreading the tale of the Black and White Heroes all across the globe. They were standing in the midst of the people that had saved an entire region. And even if they hadn't known that, it couldn't be denied that Volan and Thrin had some wickedly powerful Pokemon.

"Alright," Serena decided, drawing a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "Let's do it, then."

"That's the spirit!" Tierno whooped. "Volan, Thrin, you guys should go get your Pokemon. We'll head over to the farm Shauna told us about and wait for you there, 'kay?"

The Gurei siblings only stayed long enough to give them a thumbs-up before they took off at a run, flying over the paved ground in their rush to get back to Vaniville. After all, they might not have much time left…

-.-.-.-.-.

When they reached the front gate, Volan and Thrin wasted no time in vaulting over and racing inside (it was mostly a decorative wall, not actually for protection – people in Kalos had a thing for aesthetics). Thrin threw the door open, already calling for her Pokemon, while Volan went around the side of the house to access the backyard.

It was a lot bigger than the one they had had in Lacunosa Town, that was for sure. The center was all lawn, but around the sides were huge spreads of bare soil that supported all kinds of plants. To the right was the main garden, filled to bursting with all kinds of bushes, trees, and flowers that were arranged in a way that was chaotic yet seamless. On the left was a smaller garden, where all the vegetables grew. The two gardens snaked around to the back of the yard and met up there, and directly in front of the meeting place was a large, somewhat murky pond.

Bernice took flight, flapping directly up to a sturdy branch that hung over the fence from the neighbor's yard, and let out a loud trill. "Everyone! Out here, Volan needs you! It's an emergency!"

At once, the backyard was a frenzy of activity. The waters of the pond erupted as Rickie the Seismitoad and Sapphire the Frillish came out. Grunge the Garbodor walked out of the garden shed, followed closely by a tired-looking Mandibuzz and Volcarona – Ulna and Sol. Rudy the Krookodile and the un-nicknamed Hydreigon emerged from the foliage. Finally, there was an immense crashing of leaves and a startled squawk as Petrie the Archeops fell out of a tree that was way too small for him to perch in.

Eyes widening at the suddenness of Petrie's arrival, Volan asked, "What were you doing in the tree? You should know that you're too big to fit in it."

The prehistoric reptile-bird sprang to his feet and shook twigs out of his feathers, giving his master a merry grin. " _Petrie always see little fliers do it! So Petrie thought he give it try!_ "

" _Honestly,_ " Ulna muttered crabbily, not even bothering to cover her beak as she yawned. " _Right after I settled in for a nap, too…_ "

" _What do you wish of us, Master Volan?_ " Sol asked formally. His six fiery wings always beat slowly, somehow keeping him floating above the grass.

 _It's just like him to cut right to the chase,_ Volan observed. He gave the Volcarona a nod of recognition, and looked around at the rest of his Pokemon that were gathering around.

In as little words as possible, he summarized the situation for his team. All of them had a noticeable reaction – they perked up and became more focused, not having had action like this in years. Sure, there was the occasional tournament that Volan would take them out to compete in, but this was different. This had the potential to be a real crisis. Someone _needed_ them!

" _Why didn't ya just say so in the first place?_ " Rudy nearly yelled, enthusiastically slapping a fist into his waiting palm. " _There're kids that need savin'!_ "

Hydreigon, though, gulped nervously. " _A-Are y-you sure we can handle this?_ " he quavered. " _I-I mean, m-me helping to rescue s-someone? I'm n-not cut out for it… I-I'll probably mess it all up._ "

Let it be known that Hydreigon, so far the only Pokemon of Volan's to have not received a nickname, had originally belonged to the madman that had once led Team Plasma – Ghetsis. Hydreigon had been brainwashed into committing all kinds of unspeakable acts, including the attempted murder of Volan himself. As a result, the Dark-and-Dragon-type was always pessimistic and nearly crippled with self-doubt. It was like he was always waiting for that _one_ inevitable mistake that would get him kicked off of Volan's team for good.

Thankfully, Volan could always leave it up to Rickie, the gentle giant, to soothe Hydreigon's fears.

" _We can do this,_ " the Seismitoad assured. His voice was always so soft and certain, and he only used it when he felt he had to. He was very wise. " _Hydreigon, you are our Trainer's Pokemon, and he knows he can trust you. There is no need to be frightened when we are all together._ "

Shakily, Hydreigon nodded.

" _Everything's good again~!_ " bubbled Sapphire, giggling cutely. " _So call us into our Poke Balls and we'll go be heroes, just like old times~!_ "

It couldn't be helped – Volan broke into a wide smile, grateful as always to have the support and trust of his dear Pokemon friends. He took a moment to enter the shed, and came back out holding the Poke Balls that belonged to each of them. One by one, he returned them to the capsules in a series of red flashes, excepting Bernice of course.

Indeed, it felt good to use the Poke Balls again. He hardly ever did these days, preferring to let his Pokemon roam where they pleased. They weren't exactly on a journey anymore, so the need for portable containment devices was behind them.

" _We're good, then?_ " Bernice asked.

"Yes," Volan confirmed. "Thrin should be done by now, so we'll meet her at the front and head over to the berry farm where the others are waiting."

But before he could even turn around to head back, the fluttering of wings caught his attention. A familiar black bird – a Murkrow – came into view, settling down on the fence near the vegetable garden as if it owned the place.

In fact, this was a new companion Volan had made last year, shortly before the "monster attacks" began. It had all started when a Murkrow flock had moved into the forest near Vaniville and started trashing the farmers' crops. Although battles were frequent, neither side backed down, and Volan had decided to do something before the conflict escalated in terms of violence. He offered the leader of the Murkrow – the one now in front of him – a deal. As long as they stopped pestering the farmers, the flock of Dark-and-Flying-types could eat freely from the Gurei's garden. Volan and the flock leader had been friends ever since, and soon afterward, he began to understand the Murkrow's speech as they grew closer.

" _What's all dis hullaballoo?_ " the Murkrow asked. " _Ain't seen youse dis lively since youse was comin' after my gang._ "

"There's someone leading children into danger, Edgar," Volan replied, calling the crow Pokemon by the nickname he had assigned to him. "We're off to go get them out in case they disturb the… ah, local wildlife."

Edgar shuddered. " _Ah, I knows what youse is talkin' 'bout. Dat ting is da whole reason me and my pals was causin' mischief. We was homeless 'cause of dat interloper._ "

"Want to come along with us?" offered Volan, even though he could tell that Bernice's expression was souring behind him.

The aptly-named "Proud Pokemon" did not approve of sharing her beloved Trainer with more Pokemon than she already did.

With a casual shrug, Edgar responded, " _Eh, why not. Gots nuttin' better ta do, anyhow._ "

Nodding, Volan lifted his arm invitingly and let Edgar perch comfortably there. Bernice slid her eyes to the side and muttered something rude.

Thrin was waiting for them when they reached the front gate. "Oh, you're bringing Edgar?" she asked, raising her eyes at the sight of the additional Flying-type. "I've only got Val, Blanca, Plastron, Luna, and Jet at the moment – Oliver's still out."

"I'm certain that between you and me, we have enough Pokemon," Volan said confidently. "Now let's go meet Trevor and the rest – time's a-wasting."

The walk to the Pecha berry farm they wanted was normally not a long one, but considering the circumstances, it only took the Gureis half the usual time to get there. Their Kalosian friends were already waiting for them on the narrow spot between the Pecha field and the treeline, all practically shaking in their boots with apprehension. Calem was gripping the sealed container of Poke Balls so hard that Volan was surprised the glass hadn't yet broken, and poor Trevor was as white as a Togepi.

The Vaniville Woods were definitely foreboding, even at the best of times. Here on the edge of town, the sounds of human activity were distant at best, drowned out by the calls of wild Pokemon coming from deeper in the forest. It was easy to talk about coming here – but now that they were almost inside, the dark and the quiet naturally lifted the teenagers' innermost fears to the surface.

Volan himself was suddenly recalling a story he had heard about a kid who had ventured into the forest to swipe a Hoothoot egg on a dare. The sap hadn't even made it halfway up the tree when the parent Noctowl came back and plunged its talons into his skull. Just the _idea_ was enough to make Volan's insides quiver nauseously.

 _Stop thinking such morbid thoughts,_ Volan scolded himself, shivering.

"So they're in there, Shauna?" he asked, trying to distract himself. Action was a great way to take your mind off of your own doubts.

"Y-Yes," she replied, gulping.

"We've got our own Pokemon now," Calem assured his sister, placing a hand on her shoulder. "If we find trouble, we can defend ourselves."

She nodded, and with that, another silence descended for several long moments.

"Okay," Tierno was the one to speak next, drawing a deep, invigorating breath through his nose. "We'd better go in now. Calem, can you hand me a Poke Ball?"

The black-haired boy did so, and Tierno seemed to straighten up with new confidence as he clutched the spherical weapon in his hand. Now he had a Pokemon partner, even if he didn't know what it was yet. Now he could handle anything.

Wordlessly, the others followed his lead, taking their own Poke Balls until only one remained in Calem's container, which he put away in his backpack when everyone was done equipping themselves. As one, they turned to face the dark, ominous forest, courage radiating from their faces.

"Edgar," Volan commanded, "you go in and see if you can find anyone. Call when you do."

The Murkrow tipped his feathery 'hat' and replied, " _You da boss, Boss-man._ "

With an almost lazy flap of his wings, Edgar flew into the trees and disappeared.

Moments later, Volan and the others went in after him, the darkness falling like a curtain over top of them.

-.-.-.-.-.

Significantly deeper in the forest, where the soil was devoid of life and the trees grew so thick that not even a drop of sunlight could penetrate the canopy, another group of humans clustered timidly together. There were a total of four, three of which were barely even ten years old. They stuck to each other like glue, knowing that a forest that was dark enough to be a cave (the tree trunks were even beginning to look like stalagmites) wasn't a safe place to be snooping around.

"This wasn't a good idea…" muttered a redheaded boy, clutching his Bunnelby closer to his chest.

The much older Trainer that was leading the posse responded with scorn. "Don't be such a Shelmet, Brent," he scolded a tad harshly. "My Pokemon are tough enough to eat this 'monster' for breakfast – if the stupid thing even exists."

"Yeah, Toby's got us covered," the only girl present agreed with their guide. "And if not, Fletchling and I will protect you."

"Fletchli-i-i-i-ing~," the tiny bird on her head twittered.

A snicker cut through the otherwise noiseless environment as the Trainer, Toby, regarded the girl and her obviously inaccurate judgement of her own strength with unconcealed amusement. Seriously, as cool as these kids were for being fans of his – and who _wouldn't_ be a fan of such an awesome Trainer? – they were pretty pathetic.

"You keep telling that to yourself, Grace," Toby chuckled at her expense.

The last of the kids was an almost nerdy-looking boy with immense glasses and a collared shirt. Of course, the pocket protector on said shirt, as well as the Bug-type Kakuna cradled in his arms, did nothing to help his image. He didn't say a word, not wanting to risk drawing the attention of something nasty that might be stalking them at this very moment.

Heedless of the kids' collective nervousness, Toby strode forward without concern, the rims of his baggy jeans dragging through the soft dirt underfoot. "You guys wanted me to prove the monster didn't exist, right? Well that's exactly what I'm doing. We've been in here for, like, forever and we haven't seen anything."

"It could just be sleeping," the nerd muttered. "It only comes out at night, so…"

"What was that, Chris?" Toby shot back.

"Nothing…" he replied, sighing. He had the feeling that this wasn't going to turn out well.

Suddenly, Toby got a mischievous look on his face.

"HEY!" he bellowed through cupped hands, scaring the Arceus out of his entourage of adoring fans. "HEY, MONSTER! YOU THERE? THE GREATEST TRAINER IN ALL KALOS IS CHALLENGING YOU!"

Brent, the one with the Bunnelby, looked both terrified and livid. "What are you _doing_?!"

"Challenging the monster, duh!" Grace replied, sounding excited despite her shaking knees.

"I want to go home…" Chris whispered.

Toby waited, then dropped his hands and laughed. "Oh man, you midgets should've seen your faces! But see? There's no mo–"

"CAAAAAAW! CAAAAAAAW!"

Startling all four of them out of their wits, a Murkrow landed on a thin tree branch and blinked at them with beady eyes.

"Don't wimp out," scoffed Toby, rolling his eyes at the petrified children. "It's just a dumb Murkrow."

It raised an eyebrow at his choice of words.

But the dark-feathered Pokemon was not alone, as the exploration party was soon to find out. For from out of the shadows that prevented them from seeing very far in the deepest part of the forest, a gathering of Trainers was fast approaching.

"Aw, son of a Bisharp," Toby cursed, not caring if his companions heard or not. "And just when this little expedition was getting good."

When Volan, who was at the front of the group, saw the three kids huddling together in fear, he felt a sense of sweet relief wash over him. But that changed real fast when he saw the irresponsible Trainer who had led them into the forest in the first place.

All at once, the relief was swept away, replaced with a boiling inferno that set his blood on fire and made rage contort his features.

" _You_!" he snarled in a sizzling voice that made Thrin jump. She hadn't heard him talk in such a way for a long time.

"Dude, dude, chill out," Toby cautioned him, raising his hands. "I was just taking these kids out for a bit of fun, that's all. But by the looks of it, these little babies would probably rather go running home with you." He snickered, not noticing the offended looks the children were giving him.

"They could've been seriously hurt!" Thrin snapped at him, appalled at how little he seemed to care.

"Relax, girl," Toby rolled his eyes again. "My Pokemon would've stopped anything that tried to take a bite out of 'em. Arceus, some Trainers really need to learn how to have some fun."

By now, Volan was quivering with barely repressed anger. He hadn't felt this mad since the time he had been possessed by Reshiram. Fire was racing through his veins and threatening to consume every scrap of rational thought, but he kept it under control without shifting the threatening expression he wore on his face. With a growing feeling of disgust, he took in Toby's scruffy appearance – with the baggy T-shirt and jeans, untied shoelaces, backwards baseball cap and greasy brown hair, and self-confident smirk, he was the spitting image of the stereotypical juvenile delinquent.

It was made worse by the fact that Volan _knew_ this vile piece of scum. Knew him very well, in fact. And seeing Toby up to his old tricks again – luring a bunch of naïve little Pokemon Trainer wannabes still in elementary school into a deadly forest searching for a supposed monster – made the Gurei boy want to _vomit_.

"Hey, don't I know you?" Toby asked now, pointing at Volan. His face cleared with recognition. "Oh yeah, I do know you! We went to school back in Unova together. The kid with the scraggy grey bird – Nolan, was it?"

"Of course you wouldn't remember," Volan hissed with enough ferocity to make everyone take a step back from him. "Undella Town. Six years ago. You challenged me to a battle and promised to play by the rules. Guess what? You didn't, and Bernice had to be rushed to the emergency room thanks to your cruelty. I remember you, Toby, and absolutely loathe you for what you've done to me."

Surprisingly nonchalant even when being skewered by Volan's laser-like glare, Toby shrugged. "That's right, the Bird Brain," he said. "You were such an annoying kid. Someone needed to put you in your place. Did you at least get rid of that Rattata with wings and replace it with something that's actually good?"

Bernice, who had been itching for an excuse to jump in but restrained herself all the same, literally spat fire. Yelping, Toby threw himself to the ground as the Unfezant's Heat Wave soared right over his head and exploded harmlessly against a tree instead of fatally against his chest.

"Guess not," he remarked, standing up and wiping the wet dirt off of his T-shirt.

" _Ooh, ya missed,_ " Edgar cawed, fluttering down to Volan's shoulder. " _Next time youse is lookin' ta cut 'im down ta size, whyn'tcha aim a little lower? Hit 'im in the fluffy bits._ "

" _I didn't ask you, you dirty feather duster,_ " growled Bernice, keeping her eyes trained on Toby. Next time, she wouldn't miss.

At this point, Thrin was shaking with anger as well, scarcely able to believe the nerve of this bully. He'd hurt Volan so badly in the past that Volan had sworn never to trust another soul ever again – apart from her and their mother, as well as one other girl he considered trustworthy. He'd beaten Rudy bloody and left him for dead back in the day, when Rudy was still a Sandile and under Toby's ownership, for disobeying him time and again. And now, he was doing something even worse than both of those things – risking the lives of children not even old enough to be licenced Trainers yet.

Calem, Serena, Tierno, Shauna, and Trevor could scarcely believe the measure of Toby's casual cruelty, either. Nor could they believe how disrespectful he was to Volan. Didn't he know what Volan had done in Unova two years ago?

"What were you even thinking, taking these poor children to go looking for such a dangerous creature?" Serena burst out, aghast.

"Who even does things like that?" Trevor agreed, abandoning his perpetual state of timidity in honor of this exceptional situation. "Whatever you're looking for out here, you're the _real_ monster!"

"And no-one insults Volan and gets away with it!" decreed Shauna. She stepped forward with her single Poke Ball raised.

Blinking, Toby regarded her with surprise. "No way, you have a girlfriend, Bird Brain?" he asked, his voice a mix of amusement and disappointment. "She's not much to look at, is she?"

" _WHAT_?!" Shauna screeched, red-faced. "Alright, you snobbull! If you think you're all that, why don't you put your Mankey where your Meowth is and fight me in a Pokemon battle!"

With that, she hurled her Poke Ball into the air. It arced elegantly before opening up with a distinctive *pop* and flash of blue light. The blue light spilled out onto the ground and spun in place for a second before disappearing to reveal her new Pokemon partner. It was a squat, green reptile with a lush flower bulb on its back. Its red eyes blinked blearily, as if it was waking from a nap, but it woke itself up instantly when it saw where it was.

"Sawr, Bulbasawr!" it growled defiantly. " _My first battle!_ "

There was a squeal from where the kids were watching the drama unfold. "Aww, it's adorable!" Grace cooed at the sight of the Bulbasaur, her Fletchling singing its agreement.

"Cute," Toby chuckled condescendingly, and tossed his own Poke Ball with a shake of his head.

When the Pokemon coalesced, it revealed itself to be a large orange rodent with a whip-like tail and yellow cheek pouches. The Raichu, which could be identified as female from how its lightning-bolt tail tip was shorter than normal, wore a sadistic grin on her face as she hopped from foot to foot, jabbing at an imaginary opponent in anticipation for battle.

Suddenly, Bulbasaur wasn't looking very confident, and neither was Shauna.

"Um… y-you know what?" she asked with a nervous laugh, retreating behind Volan. "Why don't we leave this one to the expert?"

"Ooh, Volt, we'd better watch out!" laughed Toby, clearly mocking him. "Bird Brain coming to get his butt kicked again!"

"Rai rai!" the Raichu cackled alongside him.

 _I will remain calm,_ Volan willed. _I will remain calm. I will not resort to violence._

" _Go get 'em, Boss,_ " Edgar encouraged. He picked casually at a spot on his wing. " _Teach 'em a ting or two about messin' wit us, huh?_ "

Unsurprisingly, Bernice was also for the idea. " _It'll be just like old times,_ " she told him. " _Except this time, we're going to win!_ "

He hesitated, knowing that Bernice's argument was a convincing one.

"Volan, you don't have to fight this loser," Calem told him. "We should get the kids to safety."

On the other hand, Calem had a point…

"What's the matter?" Toby taunted. "You too Shelmet to fight me?"

That did it. In Unova – and possibly elsewhere, but Volan didn't care – comparing someone to a Shelmet was the worst possible way to call someone a coward. Normally, Volan wasn't one to fall to petty insults, but he was _not_ going to let Toby walk all over him again.

He took a step forward to fight in Shauna's stead, taking in the sight of his nemesis's smug smirk and wishing for nothing more than to wipe it clean off his stupid face. This would only take a minute, he reasoned – and anyway, he didn't think Toby would be willing to let them take the children off of his hands so easily. It'd be far better to settle things the old-fashioned way.

"Bernice," he began his battle cry, "show no mercy!"

-.-.-.-.-.

 **Holy crap. The nameless bully from Volan's tragic past has finally appeared! Toby is his name and public humiliation is his game. Can Volan defeat his nemesis and save the innocent bystanders from his foolish endeavor?**

 **I'm using** ** _italics_** **for Pokemon-speak again, because I think it might be confusing if I use the same speech format for Pokemon as I do for humans.**

 **New character incoming – Edgar the Murkrow, named after none other than Edgar Allen Poe! He'll be a big part of Volan's Kalos team.**

 **Oh yes, and Chapter Questions will be starting at around Chapter 10 or 11. Just letting you know!**

 **Next chapter: Old Enemies! Volan vs Toby!**

 **-.-.-.-.-.**

 **Volan's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Edgar (Murkrow, male)  
** **Ability: Super Luck  
** **Moves: Peck, Astonish, Pursuit, Haze**


	4. Old Foes! Volan vs Toby!

**_Chapter 3 – Old Enemies! Volan vs Toby!_**

 **Last time on "Flight of a Legend"…**

 **Coming late to Aquacorde Town, Shauna revealed that a Trainer and several younger kids were going into the woods to find a 'monster' that had been lurking there for a while. Volan and Thrin gathered up their Pokemon, including Volan's new partner Edgar, and headed into the forest to find them. Unfortunately, what they also found was an old enemy of Volan's, who seemed to find it amusing to challenge Volan to a not-so-friendly battle!**

-.-.-.-.-.

The smell of damp mold hung over the forest floor, giving the battlefield a scent to match the ugly atmosphere. On one side was Volan, the White Hero of Unova, and his dear Starter backing him up. On the other was an idiot that had thought bringing a bunch of ten-year-olds into an unknown monster's lair was a good idea.

Off to the side, there was an audience gathered – Thrin, Calem, Serena, Shauna, Trevor, Tierno, and the children that they were currently rescuing from Toby. However, the bullying Trainer from Volan's past wasn't going to let them leave without a fight.

"You ready to beat them to the ground, Volt?" Toby asked with a giddy grin. No Trainer could resist the adrenaline rush that came with a battle.

"Rai rai!" his Raichu replied enthusiastically.

"Bernice, let's show them no mercy," muttered Volan, clenching his fists in anger.

" _You got that right,_ " his Starter replied.

Thrin and the rest looked on excitedly, feeling the energy already starting to gather in the air. This was going to be a battle between two powerful Trainers, and none of them wanted to look away for an instant.

"This is going to be awesome," Tierno said, quietly enough so that only the rest of the audience could here. "I've heard of how strong of a team Volan and Bernice are, but I've never seen them battle in person before! Just the thought makes me want to start groovin'!"

Beside him, Trevor trembled. "Y-Yeah, b-but –"

"Let's crush them with one hit!" shouted Toby. "Use Quick Attack!"

"RRRRRAI!" the Raichu, Volt, snarled. Absorbing white light from the air around her, she took on a bright glow and unleashed it all as a streak behind her, running so fast she was only a blur.

Bernice's eye glinted when her gaze made brief contact with Volan's. With a snap of her wings, she used them to perform a jump that carried her above Volt's lightning-fast charge. Not missing a single beat, she whipped around in midair and launched a spinning triad of ethereal blue orbs – Hypnosis.

Too busy turning around to correct for her miss, Volt was promptly hit by the harmless blast, her form momentarily hidden by the burst of mystical light that occurred. When it faded, her head was bobbing up and down as she fought the urge to collapse.

"What?!" Toby protested, taken aback. "He didn't even call an attack!"

Volan and Bernice glanced at each other for only an instant, and their next move was already decided. An orange glow flashed from inside Bernice's beak, before being unleashed as a semitransparent Heat Wave. Volt was taken completely by surprise, and was engulfed by the wave of burning hot air.

"Damnit, Volt!" cursed Toby, flaring up with anger. "Get them with your strongest Thundershock!"

A spark of fear sizzled through Volan's body, no pun intended, when he saw the sparks being emitted from the Mouse Pokemon's cheeks. He knew what'd happen if Bernice got hit with an Electric-type attack – it had happened only a few times before, and he was always careful to ensure that it didn't happen again.

By the time Volt had charged up her Thundershock, Bernice was already on the move. She darted to the side, allowing the blast to hit the ground without doing any harm. Her wings snapping out to the side as she ran, she flicked them subtly in order to fire another trio of Hypnosis orbs on the move.

"Dodge!" ordered Toby.

"Rrrrai!" Volt hissed, and leapt around the dangerous projectiles.

"Tail Whip!" he added.

The long, black appendage lashed out like a whip when Volt made a sharp turn. It caught Bernice on the leg, knocking it out from under her. Letting out a startled squawk, Bernice pitched forward and hit the ground face-first.

Smirking, Toby commented, "That's much better. Now Volt, Thunder Wave!"

This time, thin strings of lightning arced out from Volt's cheeks instead of a solid bolt. The currents pierced Bernice's feathers all at the same time, causing her to cringe. She stood up, legs shaking with effort as she fought off the effects of her paralysis.

"I guess that's it for the bird," Toby laughed, a sound mimicked by Volt's more high-pitched voice. "Why don't you surrender now and save yourself the humiliation, Bird Brain!"

"Shut it," Volan snapped. "Bernice, you know what to do."

Trying not to sound too affected by the Thunder Wave, " _O-Of course, Volan. Just give me a moment._ "

"Rai rai!" Volt gloated. " _Too bad you don't have one, wimp!_ "

"Thundershock!" called Toby. "Say bye to the birdy!"

Once more, Volan and Bernice shared a half-second of eye contact, and that was all it took. Bernice ducked down into position, her talons digging into the dirt and her tail feathers making contact with the surface. The electricity smashed into her from above, flooding the forest with a sudden yellow light.

"Oh no!" exclaimed Serena. "That was a super-effective hit!"

Turning to face her, Thrin smirked. "Wait for it…"

When the light faded, Bernice stood up again with a confident gleam in her harsh yellow eyes. Her body was completely devoid of evidence that the Thundershock had done anything at all.

Obviously, Toby had _not_ been expecting this. Neither had anyone else.

"Wh-What?" stammered Calem. "The Thundershock didn't do anything, even though she's a Flying-type!"

"That's my brother and Bernice for you," Thrin said smugly.

A smile was slowly appearing on Volan's features. "Great work Diffusing, Bernice," he praised her. "Now let's finish this, shall we?"

" _You know it!_ " Bernice grinned.

The thin white aura of Façade appeared around her, which swiftly doubled in size and deepened to yellow as it naturally absorbed the paralysis that afflicted her. As soon as she was ready, the Unfezant blasted forward at a run.

"Get it, Volt!" shouted Toby. "Use Slam!"

"Rai!" the Electric-type answered, and charged headlong into Bernice's path.

Bad idea.

When the two Pokemon hit each other, it was absolutely no contest. Bernice plowed into the Raichu with an explosion of orange-yellow light, sending the rodent flying into a tree so fast that dust was pushed off the ground on either side of her. The thick trunk split in two, and Volt flopped uselessly to the ground.

Edgar glanced up from his preening to see the result. " _Yep,_ " he cawed. " _That'll do it._ "

A mighty cheer rose up from Thrin, Trevor, and the rest, filling the otherwise ominous forest with happiness. The children still clustered behind Toby burst into applause as well, and their Pokemon made little noises of joy.

"That was alakamazing!" Shauna gushed. "You didn't even need to speak to Bernice to win that battle!"

Of course he didn't. After the Vertress Conference and his newfound ability to speak to his Pokemon without a language barrier, he and Bernice had only grown that much closer together. Now, the lifelong duo were so in sync that they could communicate in battle without so much as a word, seemingly reading each other's minds.

Stamping his foot with outrage, Toby gritted his teeth and returned Volt to her Poke Ball without saying a word. Once she was safely inside and tucked in his pocket, only then did he speak.

"You just got lucky," he told Volan. "But you're not going to do so well against my next Pokemon!"

As he took out a second Poke Ball, the Gurei boy glowered. _What, again?_

The smugness was back as Toby wound his arm back to throw the capsule. "Tumbler, teach him not to mess with us!"

A medium-sized Pokemon that resembled a boulder with muscular arms was released from the ball, a grumpy scowl crinkling its rugged features even further. Volan had never seen such a thing before, but he was willing to bet his entire collection of Unovan Gym badges that it was a Rock-type.

To confirm, he brought out his Pokedex and held up the device to scan Toby's Pokemon. The Pokedex's screen slid upwards and flickered to life, displaying the information even as its robotic voice chimed. " **Geodude.** ** _Geo dibrachius_** **. The Rock Pokemon. Found in fields and mountains, this Pokemon is impossible to distinguish from ordinary boulders when it curls up to rest. It is a deep sleeper and will not awaken even if accidentally stepped on. For sport, Geodude will tackle each other to see which one is harder, and it moves in search of food by rolling. This specimen is a mature male with the Sturdy ability. His moves are Tackle, Defense Curl, Rock Throw, and Mud Sport. His power level is fourteen.** "

 _It must have only been recently caught,_ Volan realized.

He put the Pokedex away and gestured to Bernice, and only now did she let her tiredness show as she walked back to Volan's side. As she got herself settled, he twisted his head to look at the Murkrow that sat on his shoulder.

"Edgar, you up for this next round?" he asked.

Nodding, the Dark-and-Flying-type flapped down to the battlefield and waited patiently for his opponent to appear.

"Oh man, another bird?" sighed Toby. "If you like Flying-types so much, why don't you go ahead and build a whole team of them or something?"

"Are you done?" Volan snapped, his cold rage coming back with a vengeance. "If you're just going to keep throwing Pokemon at me, at least stop wasting time."

His nemesis sighed. "Fine, whatever. The sooner we get on with it, the sooner I can see the look on your face when you lose again. Tumbler, give them a Rock Throw!"

"Geodude, dude Geodude," Tumbler grunted bitterly. He raised his arms and formed a large rock in between his palms, which he threw powerfully at his foe.

"Edgar, dodge," commanded Volan. "Then use Haze to obscure their vision."

Beating his wings furiously, Edgar took off and rapidly gained height, avoiding the rock that flew his way. Then, once he was sure there wasn't another attack coming, he flared his wings and spread pitch-black mist through the air, which filled up the battlefield with its inky nastiness in little more than seconds.

Volan was unable to see any better than Toby or his Geodude, but that didn't stop him. "Edgar, Astonish!"

Seeing nothing but the Haze closing in around him, Tumbler was turning himself left and right in an attempt to locate his elusive enemy. But Edgar saved him the trouble, bursting out from the fog with a cry like nails on a chalkboard. "CAAAAAAAWWW!"

Dark blue soundwaves shot from Edgar's beak, slamming into Tumbler with enough force to make him cringe. He growled, hating the noise but still unwilling to back down. However, he couldn't hang on for very long, as the sound waves soon overwhelmed him and pushed him back to his Trainer.

"Don't tell me that's all you've got!" yelled Toby. "Use Tackle!"

"Geo Geodude," Tumbler muttered. " _Shut up already._ "

All the same, though, he planted his hands on the ground and used his strong arm muscles to push off, flying upwards as surely as if he had been thrown by another.

"Dodge!" shouted Volan.

"Rock Throw!" Toby shot back.

The way Edgar jerked out of the way of Tumbler's airborne charge in the blink of an eye was nothing short of impressive, but the Rock-and-Ground-type wasn't done. He flipped himself over so that he was facing Edgar even as he fell toward the ground, an orange-colored energy already forming in his palms. When the rock was fully developed, he pushed outward to send the projectile rocketing straight into the startled Edgar.

Rock dust bloomed to encompass almost the whole battlefield, and when it cleared, Edgar could be seen readjusting himself in the air before he could fall.

"Hang in there!" Thrin called.

"Can you keep going?" Volan asked of Edgar.

The Murkrow's constant wingbeats did not falter. " _No need ta worry 'bout me, Boss. Now let's rock dis rock._ "

"Indeed!" he grinned at his partner's remark. "Whip up another Haze!"

More streams of black fog billowed out from Edgar's wings and tail feathers, rapidly reaching out to suffocate a portion of the field.

Toby grimaced at the sight. "Nope, we're not falling for that again! Retreat, Tumbler! They'll just resort to their cheap tactics again!"

"Ha, you're one to talk!" Volan retorted, bitterness tinging his voice. "And speaking of… Use Pursuit, Edgar!"

As Tumbler backed away from the ever-growing Haze cloud, a blur of black with a subtle purple glow darted out from within. It was Edgar, his outline shining with a dark aura. He moved unnaturally fast, as that was the nature of Pursuit – it was always executed faster when the opponent was in retreat. Edgar slammed into the Geodude, plowing him into a furrow in the dirt.

"Finish with Astonish!" yelled Volan.

" _Take DIIIIIS!_ " the Darkness Pokemon shrieked, dark blue waves shooting from his beak.

Growling, Toby clenched his jaw and countered, "Block with Mud Sport!"

"Geo," the living boulder grunted. He slammed both hands into the soil, producing a fountain of wet earth that was strong enough to withstand the sound waves that Edgar projected.

 _Creative,_ Volan muttered inwardly.

"Tackle!" ordered Toby.

The curtain of dirt exploded outwards and disappeared as Tumbler came sailing straight through it, barreling on a sure collision course toward Edgar.

"Catch it with your talons!" Volan commanded.

Edgar raised his feet just in time to grab hold of Tumbler's rocky skin, and got hit with the rock-hard Tackle a millisecond later. The two slammed into a tree, but despite the intense pain that jolted through his entire body, he held onto his opponent tightly.

"Repeated Pecks!" was the follow-up command.

" _Get! Offa! My! Face!_ " Edgar squawked, and beat the tip of his beak against the hard surface pushing him against the tree.

Grimacing from the flurry of Peck attacks, Tumbler instinctively backed away from the assault. Edgar's claws still held onto him, pushing him further away so that their owner could move. This was something Volan saw immediately.

"Now's your chance!" he prompted. "Edgar, Pursuit!"

The dark aura flickered to life around Edgar's form, and with all his strength, he pushed forth with incredible speed and smashed Tumbler against the ground. The impact was enough to push the Geodude halfway into the dirt.

"G-G-Geooooo…" he moaned, slipping into unconsciousness.

With a furious stomp of his foot, Toby exploded, "No, you stupid rock! You can't lose to a feather duster! This is bull–"

"Do you have anything better to do other than throw a tantrum?" interrupted Volan, startling his waiting friends with the sheer harshness of his voice. He hadn't been with Toby for even ten minutes now, and he was already losing what little remained of his patience. "If you're done battling, then get out of my sight and leave those kids alone."

The kids in question jumped and exchanged nervous looks, unsure of what to make of the hatred that Volan clearly had for Toby. Was he really that bad if such a cool and powerful Trainer had it in for him?

"Losing to you isn't an option, Bird Brain!" shouted Toby. A third Poke Ball was already in his fist. "Now my Starter and I will flatten you! Claw, you're up!"

When the capsule popped open, the light that poured onto the battlefield took a hulking shape and materialized into a fearsome Beartic. This one, at least, Volan was familiar with, but it was a small comfort when the Ice-type practically radiated pure power.

"Okay, Edgar, you get back," he advised, knowing his most recently-caught Pokemon stood absolutely no chance against Claw the Beartic. "It's time to call out…"

He felt something in his pocket shudder against his leg, startling him something fierce. Cerulean light rushed out as a river from his pocket, and suddenly, the familiar figure of Rudy was blocking his view.

" _Volan!_ " the Krookodile said, turning his head to glare determinedly at his master. " _Lemme take a crack at that sunnuvagun! I'm gonna get him good for what he did ta me in the past!_ "

Instantly, Volan understood Rudy's motives. Formerly Toby's own Pokemon, he still harbored a deep desire to take revenge for his past mistreatment. Right now, the Ground-and-Dark-type was baring his sharp teeth in a savage expression, the gap created by his sole missing fang made glaringly obvious.

Obvious enough for Toby to notice it as well. His eyes fixed on the dark red scar that marked the empty socket.

"Wait…" the bullying Trainer muttered, taking a closer look. "Claw, isn't that the Sandile we got rid of in Unova?"

"Bearrrrr…" Claw rumbled, recognizing Rudy as well.

"I can't believe you actually _caught_ that useless thing!" Toby burst into cruel laughter, forgetting his anger at his earlier loss. "You really don't have any standards, do you?"

"Well, if you think Rudy's so bad, you'll have no problem battling him then," Volan challenged, his smirk turning deadly.

"It'll be interesting to see if he's gotten any stronger," Toby admitted, smirking as well. "Claw, Icicle Crash!"

Sucking in a huge breath, Claw exhaled with all the power his lungs possessed. A cloud of bitterly-cold mist flew from his maw, and four massive icicles began to take shape in the middle of the cloud. Already, gravity was dragging them down by their razor-sharp tips, toward the crocodilian Pokemon directly below.

"Use your tail!" shouted Volan.

" _Take this, losers!_ " Rudy hollered, his tail lashing out with so much power that its movement was actually audible. The appendage smashed three of the falling icicles to infinitesimal pieces, and sent the final icicle spinning toward Claw. It smashed into him blunt end-first, driving the big bear back.

"Now, Thunder Fang!" Volan commanded.

Emitting a sharp hiss, Rudy lunged forward with jaws open wide, sparking with potent electricity. Before his enemy could react, he snapped them shut on Claw's arm, and a loudly-buzzing arc of lightning lit his fur with yellow.

"It actually mastered that attack?!" demanded Toby, shocked. "Claw, give 'em a Rock Smash!"

"BEAAAARRR!" Claw roared, and smashed an orange-colored fist into Rudy's stomach.

Doing a fist-pump of victory, Toby continued, "Now use Blizzard!"

The challenging roar that the Freezing Pokemon produced was mixed with the high-pitched howling of a freezing wind speckled with snow. Ice and air rushed forth, coating everything it passed with thick frost.

"Defend with Sandstorm!" ordered Volan.

Shifting into a more defensive stance, Rudy used his control over the Ground element to whip up a furious whirlwind of abrasive sand and dirt around himself, canceling out the super-effective Ice-type move. As soon as the snow died down, Rudy dropped the wall of sand.

" _Claw old buddy, that was an ICE try!_ " he chortled, much to the Beartic's annoyance.

"Incredible!" came Tierno's gushing praise from the sidelines. "What a cool way to use Sandstorm!"

"Rock Smash!" yelled a fed-up Toby, working himself back into anger again.

"Thunder Fang," Volan countered.

The attacks collided, with Rudy's electrifying jaws clamping down over Claw's fist. The two titans struggled for dominance, but neither one could overcome the other.

But Volan didn't appear worried. "Keep holding on, and use your tail. Then throw it!"

A sadistic grin forming through the intense orange glow and net of dancing sparks that obscured his muzzle, Rudy's keen eyes squinted through the bright light and focused on Claw's leg. Keeping his teeth clamped in position, Rudy executed a sharp pivoting turn, smashing his tail into the Beartic's leg and staggering him. Now that he was vulnerable, the Intimidator Pokemon swung his head in a powerful arc and let go of him, sending him into a tree with enough force to snap the towering plant in half.

Everyone present cringed and braced themselves as the ground shook with the tree's fall.

"What power!" Serena gasped.

"Rudy's one of Volan's oldest partners," commented Thrin. "Even though he used to be Toby's Pokemon, and was the same one who defeated Bernice in their battle many years ago, he's proved himself to be loyal and reliable. And because he has Volan's trust, he's become one of his most powerful Pokemon."

Bernice overheard, and muttered to herself, " _He's not THAT great…_ "

As Toby's Pokemon got back up and began to trade blows with Rudy, the Gurei girl felt something tugging on the end of her jacket. She quizzically looked down and saw Chris, the boy with the Kakuna, staring up at her.

"Um, yes?" she asked, giving the pre-Trainer as friendly a smile as she could.

Chris glanced at his friends, Grace and Brent, and they nodded encouragingly. With a gulp, the bespectacled boy turned back to the much older girl and asked, "Is Toby really as bad as that Volan person says?"

Blinking in surprise, Thrin honestly replied, "I'm not really sure. You'd have to ask my brother for the details, because he's the only one that actually knows the guy."

"We trust Volan, though," Trevor piped up. For once, he didn't stammer, or even sound remotely nervous. "And even though this is the first time I'm seeing Toby, he definitely seems like someone to avoid."

"He's an awesome Trainer, though," Grace frowned.

"That's why we followed him in the first place," Brent added, his Bunnelby nodding along agreeably. "We were talking about the monster on our way home from school, and he overheard us and said that he could beat it up no sweat."

"I guess it'd be normal for a kid to look up to a good Trainer, wouldn't it?" mused Shauna, regarding the children sympathetically.

"But you can't judge a person on how strong their Pokemon are," Calem countered. Beside him, Thrin and Serena nodded in agreement. "Look at this guy – first of all he dresses like a slob, second of all he's being too severe with his Pokemon when they're losing…"

His explanation was suddenly interrupted by a huge crash as Rudy knocked his Beartic opponent right off his feet, and Toby's criticizing could be heard as the noise died down, effectively proving Calem's point.

"…and finally, he outright admitted to abandoning the Krookodile that Volan's now commanding," he finished, crossing his arms. "That's not how a Trainer is supposed to act. They're supposed to work _with_ their Pokemon, not simply order them around like slaves."

Brent, Grace, and Chris shared a doubtful look, then simultaneously turned to watch the battle again.

They were just in time to watch a rain of thick icicles batter Rudy into submission, too fast for him to make quick work of them with his tail. He cringed under the storm of razor-sharp ice, staggering when he tried to take a defensive step backwards.

"Ha! Look at you now, Bird Brain!" Toby gloated. "You act like your Pokemon are all that, but all it takes is one good blow to expose them for what they really are – a bunch of weaklings, just like their Trainer!"

"Rudy, can you go on?" inquired Volan, completely ignoring his nemesis' attempts to bait him.

Off to the side, Tierno shook his head. "See, that's exactly what my man Calem's talkin' about," he said thoughtfully. "All he cares about is winning, and it looks like he'll try to do that by any means possible. But Volan's different – he's putting Rudy's welfare first when he gets hurt, and they're working together really well. There's a bond there, no doubt about it."

Upon hearing his words, Grace looked like she was about to argue, but she changed her mind and stayed silent, too indecisive to speak.

"Use Smack Down!" shouted Volan.

" _Think fast, Slowpoke!_ " Rudy crowed, digging his claws into the ground and pulling up a good-sized rock. He then chucked the stone at Claw, who couldn't dodge in time and winced when it smacked into his chest.

"Now Thunder Fang!" Volan added.

Balling his fists, Toby retorted, "No chance of that! Claw, use Icicle Crash to finish it in one blow!"

But Claw, apparently, had other ideas. He huffed frostily and rolled his eyes, then dealt a swift uppercut to Rudy's chin with Slash. It seemed as though the Ice-type knew that Icicle Crash would take too long to execute and thus wouldn't be an effective counterattack.

"That's not something you see every day," Volan remarked in a low, sarcastic drawl. "The Pokemon's making smarter decisions than the Trainer is."

"Shut it!" snarled Toby. "I'll be doing you a favor by pounding you into the dust! Claw, Blizzard!"

"Beeeeeaaaaarr!" the polar bear Pokemon howled, his roar blending once more with the deafening shriek of the snowstorm he unleashed.

"Sandstorm, Rudy," Volan commanded, unconcerned. As the sand began to swirl in a protective barrier against the frigid gale, he added, "Someone needs to focus more on strategy and less on picking fights with people he shouldn't."

"I heard that!" came Toby's biting reply, although how he _could_ hear over the wind was a mystery. "I don't know why you think you're so hot, Bird Brain! You're just like every other dumb person out there, thinking that you can make any random-ass Pokemon into a fighting machine. You haven't changed a bit! I thought I'd been teaching you a lesson when I flattened you and your scraggy Rattata with wings all those years ago, but it looks like you're just as stupid and worthless as ever!"

Bernice shrieked with outrage, her murderous tone needing no translation.

But that was nothing compared to Volan's voice, which was like an erupting volcano. "I'll make you _choke_ on those words! Rudy, no mercy! Sandquake combo!"

"KROOOOOOOKA!" he roared, and the sound shook leaves from the trees and made the bystanders collectively wince. Dissipating the Sandstorm, he instead focused his control elsewhere while at the same time gathering a dark orange-colored energy in his left leg. Like a sumo wrestler, he tilted his entire body to the side as he lifted the leg, and then let loose with a tremendous stomp.

The very earth shattered when Rudy released his power. The Earthquake split the ground into a Spinarak's web of crevasses, from which gushed waves of thick sand that catapulted chunks of earth skyward. Claw was caught in the rapidly-advancing wave of devastation, and was flung so high into the air that he disappeared amidst the trees with a below of pain.

By the time the ground stopped shaking, even Thrin had been shocked into complete silence. She had seen the unique combination attack of Rudy's before, but it was her first time seeing it so close-up. The way it had ripped apart the portion of forest that Volan and Toby had claimed as the battlefield was utterly terrifying.

Branches shook high above their heads, and then Claw came plummeting out of the trees with an impact of equally earthshaking magnitude.

" _Yeah, that's right, that just happened,_ " Rudy hissed, thrashing his tail agitatedly.

Claw tensed up and stirred, as if provoked by the sound of his old teammate's words.

"Get up, you fat lump!" Toby shouted in a rage. "Don't you _dare_ consider staying down, you hear me?! If you lose, you're fending for your own useless self from now on! Get _UP_!"

"B-B-Beaaaarrrrr…" the Beartic rumbled, his muzzle twisted into a snarl of pain and fury as he slowly struggled to his feet. " _N-Not… u-useless…_ "

At this point, the pre-Trainers were gaping in awe of the ridiculous move Volan and Rudy had pulled off and in bafflement at the amount of cruelty Toby was displaying to his Pokemon. Claw was his Starter, for crying out loud – you didn't get rid of your Starter under _any_ circumstances. The three of them stared down at their own Pokemon clutched in their arms, unable to think of any reason for them to voluntarily part from their precious companions.

"I always knew Toby wasn't that cool," muttered Chris. "Abandoning a Pokemon is bad enough, but your first partner?"

"Somehow, I can believe he'd do it," said Tierno, disapprovingly.

Even Grace, who had appeared to be the one that was most adamantly admiring of Toby, was screwing her face up in disgust. "I can't believe I even talked to him," she said vehemently. "Fletchling, we're not going near him ever again."

"Li-i-i-ing~!" her tiny friend chirped passionately.

"Come on, Volan!" yelled Brent, while his Bunnelby hopped up and down enthusiastically. "You show him a thing or two! I just remembered something about where I've seen him before!" he added excitedly to his surprised friends. "He's the guy from the news! Remember, the one who saved the world two years ago?"

Now the pre-Trainers' unanimous amazement returned, focused solely on Volan.

The Gurei boy flung his arm out, his sapphire eyes as hard as diamond. "Rudy, finish this with Thunder Fang!"

With a tremendous roar, Rudy charged forward, the inside of his jaws alight with intense yellow sparks. He was a tad slower than usual, having exerted himself quite a bit during the battle, but Claw was in no shape to exploit this admittedly miniscule difference in speed. Thoroughly battered from the beating Rudy had given him, all the wounded Beartic could do was brace himself as Rudy surged into him and clapped his jaws onto either side of his arm with enough force to dent a truck. Despite the bite and the megawatts of electricity running rampant through his system, though, Claw held firm and took the punishment.

"I'm warning you!" Toby, indeed, warned. "Get him off with Rock Smash!"

His free arm taking on an orange hue, Claw reared back and swung with all the strength he had left in him. "BEAAAAARRR!"

The super-effective Fighting-type move designed to crush boulders into powder, backed by some serious muscle, smashed into Rudy's head.

The Krookodile released his hold on Claw's other arm, leaving the appendage streaked with blood. With lightning bolts of pain thundering one after the other through his skull, he clutched his head in his hands and moaned.

"Blizzard!" finished Toby, his eyes lighting up with wild excitement.

This time, it was Rudy who was in no position to dodge. The gale-force winds and damaging ice hit him like a brick wall, then physically picked him up and tossed him away like so much trash. He struck the ground on his belly and lay there, unmoving, at Volan's feet.

"Oh no…" he heard Thrin murmur.

At once, the anger that boiled his blood ebbed away and left nothing but exhaustion behind. Volan crouched down at Rudy's side, sitting on his knees as he, Bernice, and Edgar crowded around their fallen comrade.

"You battled wonderfully, Rudy," Volan smiled. "Don't worry, we'll beat Toby next time."

The corner of Rudy's mouth quirked upwards. " _Can't wait…_ " he muttered.

" _You've gone soft!_ " Bernice scolded, although it was obvious she was hiding something underneath her barrier of stern words. " _How do you expect to beat that imbecile if you haven't battled seriously in two years?_ "

" _Ay, ay, lay off, wouldja?_ " replied Edgar. " _Think nuttin' of it, Rudy old pal. We's just worried 'bout youse, see?_ "

Volan dug in his pocket for Rudy's Poke Ball, preparing to call the tired crocodilian back for some well-earned rest, when all of a sudden…

"Blizzard!"

The icy blast struck like a pile driver, bowling both Edgar and Bernice off of their feet while Volan was carried a short distance before landing painfully on his back. Rudy did nothing but shiver violently, unable to withstand another dose of subzero temperatures in his weakened state.

"What the hellder?!" Shauna screamed in disbelief. "The battle's already snover! Why are you attacking them when you've already won?!"

"I told you," came Toby's casual voice, yet with a hint of rage buried at his core. "I'm teaching Bird Brain a lesson. He was too dumb to know better than to mess with me back then, and it looks like he still needs to smarten up now."

"You're disgusting!" Thrin erupted, features contorted into a furious snarl. She held a Poke Ball aloft and shouted, "Valkyrie, kick his –"

A hand grabbed her wrist, preventing her from throwing the ball. It belonged to Serena, who shook her head violently and protested, "Fighting back isn't going to solve anything! We found the kids we came looking for, so shouldn't we get going?"

Volan got to his feet just then, the movement alerting Thrin. The fury evaporated all at once as she dropped everything to help him up. He gave her a nod of thanks, and shot Toby a look of pure contempt.

"We'll continue this discussion another time," he told the bully, his dangerous tone promising that the conversation wouldn't be a very pleasant one. "Rudy, return!"

This time, he successfully absorbed Rudy into his Poke Ball, where he would be safe until he could get a checkup at the nearest Pokemon Center.

"Too much of a coward to continue our battle?" Toby sneered. "Fine, take the squirts and leave if that'll make you feel better. I knew they weren't brave enough to come in here anyway. Besides, there's not even anything in these woods."

It was at that point, when a temporary moment of silence fell between the bullying Trainer's offensive words and the scathing reply forming on Volan's tongue, that the sound of wingbeats came from somewhere above the trees.

"Hey," remarked Tierno, "does anyone else hear –"

"BAAAAAAAAH-OOOOOOOON!"

The deafening screech exploded with such force in their ears that it was as if a sharp axe had been applied to each of their heads. In unison, the humans and Pokemon clapped their hands, wings, or paws over their ears in a fruitless attempt to protect themselves from the destructive noise. The trees around them shook violently, shedding leaves and branches as the sheer vibrations coming from above dislodged them en masse.

Indeed, Toby had been wrong. There had been a monster all along in this forest – simply put, it was used to coming out only in the latest hours of the night for its raids on the Vaniville farms, and the battle between Rudy and Claw had roused it from its daily sleep.

When the ringing in Volan's ears had faded, the sound of wings was already long gone. He stared up at the trees, now letting faint beams of sunlight through the gaps made by their missing branches. Even though working his brain too hard was bound to give him a headache after such an auditory assault, he did his best to imagine the direction in which the monster was heading.

A dreadful thought suddenly occurring to him, the Gurei boy's eyes widened behind their glasses. He silently pleaded, _Please tell me it isn't…_

The faint sound of an explosion came from somewhere in the distance, back in the direction of Vaniville Town.

"O-Oh no!" gasped Trevor. "It's attacking the town!"

"Quick!" Calem shouted. "We need to head over there right away to warn everyone!"

"We've all got our Starter Pokemon!" added Tierno. "Now we can fight it as long as we work together!"

Silently, Volan and Thrin shared a nod. They instantly knew what it was they had to do.

"Shauna, Serena," Volan spoke the two girls' names in the commanding voice of someone who was used to taking charge. "Can the two of you get the kids back home safely?"

They nodded without argument.

"The rest of you, follow us!" Thrin continued for her brother. "We'll show that monster exactly what the Black and White Heroes can do!"

-.-.-.-.-.

 **I've been looking forward to writing this battle between Volan and his old enemy for a long time. Toby's certainly had it coming, and now the day is here!**

 **…** **Or maybe not. Right now, there's more pressing matters to attend to.**

 **This whole situation with Toby and the three pre-Trainers is actually a reference to "Pokemon: Rivals Collide" by NuttyBuddy792. I requested that Volan and Toby appear in one chapter, and said chapter is where I (and the author, of course) first established Toby as a character instead of just a piece of Volan's backstory. So as thanks to the author, Toby makes his debut in the Legendverse in the same manner as in the story mentioned above. Go check it out, readers! It's awesome!**

 ** _Geo dibrachius_** **= "two-armed rock"**

 **Next chapter** **: The Monster Unmasked!**

 **-.-.-.-.-.**

 **Volan's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Edgar (Murkrow, male)  
** **Ability: Super Luck  
** **Moves: Peck, Astonish, Pursuit, Haze**


	5. The Monster Unmasked!

**_Chapter 4 – The Monster Unmasked!_**

 **Last time on "Flight of a Legend"…**

 **Volan and his nemesis, Toby, began a furious battle in the middle of the woods, with Volan hoping to settle the score after what Toby had put him through six years previously. He started with Bernice, and made quick work of Toby's Raichu. Then it was his new partner, Edgar the Murkrow, against a Geodude – a battle he won with relative difficulty. Then Rudy volunteered to deal with their next opponent, a powerful Beartic, but lost. The battle would've continued if it weren't for the arrival of a new foe…**

-.-.-.-.-.

Completely unaware of the danger that Vaniville Town was currently in, a lone pickup truck turned onto a paved road, one of the few in this more rural part of town where the farmers grew the majority of their produce. Once it had safely executed its turn, the person behind the wheel gunned the motor, causing the vehicle to rush forward with a sudden roar.

This abrupt disregard for the speed limit would've been suspicious enough on its own, but what really would've tipped potential bystanders off would be the local Officer Jenny pursuing on her motorbike, complete with a Manectric in the side car.

"Stop this vehicle in the name of the law!" the turquoise-haired woman yelled over the noise of her motorcycle's engine, apparently not caring that her words would have little effect on her quarry (or if he could even hear her inside of his truck).

"Heh heh heh!" the unscrupulous character laughed, his pudgy hands clamped firmly on the wheel and his shifty eyes constantly flicking towards the rear-view mirror. "Dumb police! All I have to do is cut through these fields and back into the woods, and I'm in the clear!"

A soft murmuring came from the seat behind him, on which were piled several metal cages filled with terrified Pokemon with bristly white fur and enormous, rectangular eyes.

"Pipe down there, Spewpa!" the man hushed them. "The lot of you are going to make me lots of money once we get to Kiloude City!"

With that, he stepped on the gas pedal, accelerating so much that he was pushed back in the seat. The imprisoned Spewpa chattered fearfully amongst themselves as their cages tumbled over top of one another.

Behind the fleeing truck, Officer Jenny gritted her teeth as she saw the Pokemon smuggler getting away. She sped up as well, knowing that she was at least more maneuverable at such high speeds than the criminal was – but still, she wasn't willing to risk the dangers of keeping up this chase. She'd have to stop him, or at least slow him down.

"Manectric," she ordered, and the keen ears of her Pokemon partner pricked up as they caught her words. "Get ready to use Thunder Wave on my command."

The Electric-type barked once, and sparks began to dance along its mane.

That was when a shadow streaked across the ground, so fast that Officer Jenny was sure she had imagined it.

What she didn't imagine, though, were the enormous wings flaring wide as their owner confronted the fleeing Pokemon smuggler.

"BAAAAAAAAH-OOOOOOOON!"

A purplish-white Dragon Pulse shot from its jaws, which blasted straight through the pickup truck's engine and obliterated it in a fiery explosion. The shockwave sent the truck hurtling through the air – with the criminal's terrified screams audible even in the aftermath of the ear-shattering blast – and knocked Officer Jenny's motorbike on its side. Multiple Spewpa flew everywhere, pouring from the truck's shattered windows, and knocked themselves out on contact with the pavement.

She grunted with pain as she and the bike skidded to a halt, and winced as she felt the tremor caused by the smuggler's truck crashing to the ground.

Aching all over, the police officer got to her feet. She clutched at her arm where the pain was worst, suspecting that she'd need first aid as soon as possible. Thankfully, when she turned her gaze to the sky, she saw the dragon winging its way elsewhere, presumably to find something else to take its anger out on.

Turning around to gaze at the overturned remains of the smuggler's truck, she winced again when she saw the sheer amount of smoke pouring out from what was left of the engine. The entire front of the truck looked as if it had been ripped off, leaving nothing but flaps of twisted metal spread in a flower-like pattern. Hopefully, Officer Jenny noted, the notoriously greedy man was still alive in there.

"Spew!" a small voice chirped from within the wreckage.

As an incredulous Officer Jenny watched, a single Spewpa scuttled out from the wreckage. It blinked up at her, then wasted no time in shuffling as fast as it could into the nearest corn field, disappearing amidst the still-growing stalks.

-.-.-.-.-.

The sky had darkened to grey in the short amount of time it had taken Volan, Thrin, and their friends to venture in and out of the woods. In, to retrieve a trio of pre-Trainers that had naively followed Volan's nemesis inside – the very thought made Volan's blood pressure go up a notch – and out, to catch up to the monster that hid itself away in the forest and prevent it from doing too much damage to Vaniville Town.

Because, if Volan was honest, he felt that the nocturnal nightmare had woken up in a really bad mood.

Clouds lay thick across the sky, producing a foreboding atmosphere to match the situation. Volan scanned the blanket of grey, eyes narrowed so that he may pick out any spot of color that moved against the monochrome background, giving away the unknown beast's position.

"I don't see it," he muttered aloud.

"M-Maybe it left?" Trevor offered hopefully.

As if in answer, a distant cry followed by an explosion sounded from elsewhere in town.

" _Not likely,_ " Bernice deadpanned.

"It sounds like it's coming this way!" exclaimed Calem, pointing.

Volan turned his head in the direction in which the black-haired boy indicated, and felt a shiver travel up his spine. There was a speck of black and green there in the sky, growing larger by the second as it traveled in their direction.

"Get ready, everyone!" he shouted. He produced a Poke Ball seemingly from nowhere and gave it a quick toss, before catching it and properly hurling it into the air. "Hydreigon, come meet your opponent!"

Everyone but Thrin flinched at the appearance of the three-headed Dark-and-Dragon-type, but recovered quickly. They knew that if it was trained by Volan, they could trust any Pokemon, no matter how scary.

" _D-Do you really think I can do this…?_ " Hydreigon murmured.

"Remember, Hydreigon, you're part of my team," smiled Volan. "I have full faith in you, my friend."

All too soon, Tierno put an end to the rather tender moment. "Heads up! Here it comes!"

Their foe was now close enough for Volan to pick out its details. Its leathery wings slashed the air with every beat, while its impressively-clawed legs and spiked tail were held behind it to maximize speed. Its furry white ruff blew in the wind its passage kicked up, and its poisonous yellow eyes glinted with undisguised rage from underneath its massive, loudspeaker-shaped ears.

Despite never having seen a Pokemon like it in person, Volan recognized the creature immediately – indeed, he prided himself on his knowledge of Flying-types.

"Noivern!" he spoke the terrible dragon's name in a gasp. "It's so obvious now! It struck only under cover of night, stole berries, was large enough to eat a Tauros…"

"But now that we know what it is," Serena worried, "how are we supposed to stop it?"

By now, the Noivern had seen them. It screeched a battle challenge, and immediately let loose with a barrage of Air Slash blades launched from its tail. Everyone scattered, and the blueish projectiles hammered the ground, throwing up clouds of dust.

The first to turn around and take advantage of the moment that Noivern took to recover, he took out his Pokedex and allowed its dual screens to slide into place. It buzzed softly as it did its work, finally chiming, " **Noivern.** ** _Sonusoptera lapiconfringes_** **. The Sound Wave Pokemon. This Flying-and-Dragon-type has only been recently discovered. No other information available, except that this individual is a mature male.** "

A nasty word escaped Volan's lips as he put the device away with an audible growl. He had completely forgotten that the Pokedex he had gotten from Professor Juniper was designed to identify species familiar to the Unovan and Kantonian continents only. Kalos had several species that were unable to be found anywhere else, several of which were highly endangered. He needed to get a new model sometime soon…

"So here's the deal," Volan announced to the group, wisely keeping his eyes on the circling Noivern. "Thrin and I will fight Noivern directly, while you guys try to hit it from a safe distance. If you can get it to land, or crash, or get it on the ground in general, that'd be great."

Surprisingly, Trevor was the first to step up to the task. "R-Right behind you! Go, Poke Ball!"

When he tossed the capsule he had only just acquired earlier that afternoon, a small orange lizard popped out with an eager cry. "Chaaaaar!"

"Oh, wow!" Trevor enthused. "I got a Charmander!"

So eager that he almost dropped it in the grass underfoot, the orange-haired boy fumbled for his Pokedex, which seemed to be the latest model as Calem had assured. It consisted of nothing more than a small red rectangle, but when Trevor aimed its central lens at his Charmander, it split in half to reveal a light blue, holographic screen which provided an image of the Pokemon as well as some statistics.

" **Charmander,** " it said in a cool, feminine tone. " ** _Ignisaurus samuelii_** **. A Fire-type Lizard Pokemon. Its tail has a flammable tip that combusts upon contact with air, eternally fueled by oil oozing from its pores. It produces this oil based on what and how often it eats, and so the flame on its tail is an indication of its health. Additionally, the flame is affected by its emotions, burning hotter when it becomes enraged. A Charmander's tail only goes out if it is fatally sick or injured. Specimen's power level is ten. Known moves: Scratch, Growl, Ember, Dragon Dance. Ability: Solar Power.** "

Eyes growing wide, Trevor exclaimed, "Wow! Dragon Dance and Solar Power! This Charmander is something special!"

"Charrrrr…" the Fire-type muttered bashfully. " _Oh, stop…_ "

"My turn!" cheered Shauna. "Go, li'l Bulbasaur!"

Once her Starter had materialized, she copied what Trevor had done, scanning the squat reptile with her holographic Pokedex. As it turned out, her Pokemon, too, was special – it knew a move called Grassy Terrain and had the Chlorophyll ability.

 _I suppose it's because Professor Sycamore raised them,_ Volan mused. _Or at least got them from a really good source._

One by one, Tierno, Calem, and Serena sent their Pokemon out to fight as well. Tierno ended up with a light blue turtle with a curled-up tail – a Squirtle, knowing Rain Dish and Mirror Coat. Calem was next, and his Starter was revealed to be a Water-type as well, an amphibian with half-closed eyes and a ruff of white bubbles – a Froakie. Its ability was the standard Torrent, but Calem was delighted to know that it came with Icy Wind and Water Pledge. Finally, it was Serena's turn, and she became partnered with a vulpine Pokemon with bright yellow fur and startling red ear tufts – a Fennekin with Hypnosis and the Magician ability.

"Now that that's done…" Thrin started, and trailed off to pick the Pokemon that she'd use to fight Noivern. "Gotcha! Blanca, let's do this!"

The Vanilluxe emerged with a pair of cheery smiles, happily wiggling her straw-like adornment and accepting the call to battle with the enthusiasm of a small child.

They couldn't have finished their preparations at a better time. Noivern was at a considerable distance away and circling back around with increasing velocity. It rushed overhead, wind whistling past the tips of its wings as it cut through the air like a knife through butter. Then it climbed, gaining altitude, before folding its wings and descending toward the gathered Trainers.

The whistle of wind was no longer there, but a much more dangerous sound replaced it – the high-pitched, rising screech that betrayed the preparation of a Dragon Pulse.

"GET DOWN!" Volan roared.

Diving in all different directions, the group of Trainers and their Pokemon partners hit the ground painfully some distance away from where they had originally been standing. The Dragon Pulse, which was like no Dragon Pulse Volan had ever seen – like a skeletal winged serpent enveloped in a purplish haze – smashed into the ground with a surprisingly small explosion, producing a minor cloud of smoke and a neat little crater right where they all had been standing.

"Oo-koo-koo-koor!" Noivern squawked in annoyance, pulling up when it saw that its attack had had little effect. It began to circle around for another go.

"The plan!" Thrin reminded them. "Serena and Shauna, get the kids out of here and to safety! Your Pokemon can help too, remember!"

"Got it!" Serena nodded. "Let's go, Fennekin!"

"Kinnn!" the Fire-type yipped, following its new mistress.

"Follow us, kids!" Shauna called encouragingly, her Bulbasaur in her arms. "Leave the dragon to Volan and everything will be right as rainpardos!"

Not daring to question them when the only other alternative was practically suicide, the three pre-Trainers dashed off after the two girls, cutting through the field of Pecha berry trees as a shortcut.

Now that their main concern was safely on its way home, Volan and the others turned their full attention back to the Noivern, its jaws already opening with a shriek as it prepared another Dragon Pulse.

"Hydreigon, intercept with Dark Pulse!" Volan cried.

"Dreeeeiii!" the Brutal Pokemon hissed. He raised all three of his heads, although only the main head spat out a purple beam laced with interlocking black rings of energy.

The two attacks collided in midair and produced a shockwave that rocked the ground slightly, such was its intensity. Neither Pokemon had been harmed.

"Into the air!" Volan ordered. "Bernice, you too. Edgar, you'd better stay here – there's no way you could measure up to that Noivern."

" _O-Okay, I'll do my best!_ " promised Hydreigon, his six wings beating furiously as he rose to face Noivern head-on.

" _We can do this!_ " Bernice encouraged him. " _Time to send this thing back to wherever it came from!_ "

Noivern saw the two Pokemon rising up to meet it, and decided that it didn't like it. It reared its head back, the inside of its massive ears glowing white, and then fired a destructive beam of white noise. "BAAAAAAH-OOOOOOON!"

They needed no orders from Volan – Bernice and Hydreigon got out of the way. The Boomburst sped past and tore a tree at the edge of the forest out by its roots.

Unable to communicate through eye contact when she was so high up, Volan yelled up to Bernice, "Start charging a Sky Attack!"

She understood by his command that he wanted to finish this as quickly as possible. Sky Attack took time to prepare, but the outcome would be worth it if a hit was ensured.

And Volan already knew how he was going to ensure it. He needed some cleverness from Hydreigon as well as some cooperation from his friends.

"Hydreigon, Tri Attack!" he called. "Get Noivern to go lower!"

This time, all three of Hydreigon's heads participated in the attack. Fire blasted from his main head, while the two brainless heads on the ends of his arms spat beams of lightning and ice. Noivern avoided them easily, swerving downwards and allowing the blasts to soar straight over its head.

That was exactly what Thrin had been waiting for. "Blanca, Flash Cannon!"

" _Coming right up!_ " chirped the Snowstorm Pokemon. She aimed her straw at Noivern like the barrel of a cannon, then sucked in streaks of energy before unleashing a wide, silvery beam.

"Koo-koor!" Noivern shrieked, and darted back upwards to steer clear of the Steel-type move.

"We need to slow it down!" growled Thrin, frustrated.

"Leave it to us," Calem said confidently. "Froakie, use Icy Wind!"

With a croak, Froakie jumped forward and cupped its hands, already gathering frigid energy. "Kee, Froakie fro! _Here we go!_ "

Drawing its hands back, Froakie gathered the last bit of energy it needed and threw its open palms forward, hurling a gust of wind interlaced with sparkling ice crystals. By some miracle, the breeze nicked the end of Noivern's tail, coating it in frost.

"Direct hit!" cheered Tierno. "Squirtle, keep it movin' with Bubble!"

"And you help out with Ember, Charmander!" added Trevor.

"Squirtle squirt!" the Water-type rasped, pursing its lips and blowing a stream of opalescent bubbles at its evasive target.

"Chaaaaar!" cried Charmander, and opened its jaws to expel a puff of crackling embers.

The two attacks of incompatible elements collided in midair before they could actually reach Noivern, resulting in a loud bang and a hot cloud of steam. Noivern felt it and altered its course, diving down to attack the small Pokemon below.

Thrin knew that they wouldn't be able to survive a direct attack, so she intervened. "Blanca, get in front of it! Flash Cannon!"

Giggling, the dessert-shaped Ice-type floated swiftly into Noivern's path and aimed her straw at it again. The Flash Cannon fired, but Noivern was still faster, even though the patch of ice on its tail should've been doing more to impede its success.

"Damn, its fast!" muttered Thrin.

"That's because it's one of the only Pokemon to have Flying as its primary type," Volan informed her, eyes locked on Bernice and the progress she was making. "As far as non-Legendary Pokemon go, Noivern may as well be the king of the skies!"

A swift glance upwards told Volan that Bernice was finally ready. He nodded to her, and the golden aura that cloaked her body suddenly burst like a supernova, forming into a ten-foot wide phoenix made of fiery light with burning slits for eyes. The great manifestation of energy opened its "beak" and let out an ethereal screech as it bore down on Noivern like judgement from Arceus.

Unfortunately, such a dramatic attack was anything but subtle, and Noivern both spotted and heard it straightaway. Turning around in midair with only a moment to spare, it spat another Dragon Pulse directly at the golden wings that filled its vision.

The *BLAM* that occurred surely would've shattered windows if they had been any nearer to the more civilized part of Vaniville. As it were, the shockwave generated by the meeting of explosive energies merely caused a gust of wind to bend the Pecha berry trees in the nearby field, and also served to spread the resulting smoke everywhere.

Volan coughed as he felt the acrid-tasting stuff enter his lungs. His eyes watered, unable to see much in the thick black cloud. He was about to ask Hydreigon and Bernice to blow the smoke away, but a screech from Noivern followed by a tremendous thudding sound interrupted him before he could.

"Use Icy Wind to clear the smoke!" he heard Calem's voice call out.

A sudden chill swept through the area, and the black was whipped away. Froakie lowered its hands, seemingly pleased with itself, while Noivern rose up from where it had slammed Hydreigon into the field amidst a collection of uprooted berry trees. This time, Froakie and the other inexperienced Pokemon were back in the predator's sights as the insides of its ears began to glow.

"Bernice!" Volan cried.

"We've got this!" Tierno told him, doing a quick spin. "It's time for us to get into the groove! Squirtle, block that gnarly Boomburst with Mirror Coat!"

Whatever the turtle Pokemon was about to say in reply was drowned out by the awful, booming soundwave that Noivern blasted from its ears. Showing nimbleness that should've made Tierno blush with shame, Squirtle snapped its body parts into its shell and spun along the ground to end up in front of Charmander and Froakie. A multicolored, aurora-like pattern started to pulse along the curves of its shell, and the Boomburst was reflected straight back into Noivern's face.

"Holy Magikarp!" exclaimed Tierno. "That is one potent attack!"

"Use Heat Wave, Bernice!" shouted Volan. "Buy some time for Hydreigon to get back up!"

"Feeeeeez!" she squawked, diving down upon the stunned Noivern while emitting a gust of fiery-hot wind. Noivern recovered in time to take to the sky and dodge it, but Bernice persistently chased the Flying-and-Dragon-type wherever it flew, occasionally firing off gusts of heat to keep it on the move.

Then, Noivern abruptly spun around to face Bernice defiantly. Knowing that it was about to ready an attack, Volan yelled, "Edgar, fill the area with Haze!"

" _On it, Boss!_ " he replied, launching himself off of Volan's shoulder with black mist trailing behind him. In mere seconds, the battlefield was rapidly being covered with the stuff, reducing visibility to almost zero.

That was when Volan felt a sudden shiver go down his spine. He wasn't able to pinpoint the source of such a sensation until he saw the glow of Noivern's ears shining faintly through the thickening black fog.

"It can still see in the Haze!" he spoke his mind aloud. "It's using its sound waves to navigate!"

Right on cue, Noivern emitted a deafening Boomburst. "BAAAAH-OOOOOON!"

When the projectile struck Bernice dead-on, much to her shock, the explosion was enough to wipe away the fog and send Edgar tumbling beak-over-talons through the air. He clumsily fluttered back down to Volan's shoulder, eyes rolling dizzily. Bernice looked similarly compromised, shaking her head and barely able to keep her position. A snarl cut through everyone's ears as Noivern shot toward the incapacitated Proud Pokemon.

Eyes wide with horror, Thrin screamed, "Blizzard, Blanca!"

"Vaniiiiiiill!" the Ice-type Pokemon shrieked, sucking in moisture while at the same time expelling a turbulent wind peppered with damaging snowflakes.

Feeling the cold before the Blizzard actually hit, Noivern switched its priorities. It spun around again, surprising Blanca into accidentally halting her attack, and unleashed a Dragon Pulse. The bone-white serpent of energy tore straight through the vortex of ice and snow to smash against Blanca's body, sending the Vanilluxe spiralling off into the nearby field.

Thrin immediately gave chase, pushing past the intact Pecha trees with a shout of "Keep holding it off!" thrown over her shoulder.

Gritting his teeth, Volan spared a glance in her direction and saw Hydreigon finally starting to rise up again. "Ready your combo!" he yelled.

The hydra Pokemon flinched. " _B-B-But we haven't perfected it yet…_ "

"If we can stop Noivern, that's all that matters!" Volan told him.

" _Jus' give it a shot, my confidence-impaired friend!_ " added Edgar, nodding along. " _Ain't no way you'll master it if ya don't give it a shot, ya know what I'm sayin'?_ "

Hesitantly, Hydreigon nodded with the faintest ray of hope dawning on his muzzle, only for a sound from above to wipe it off.

"BAAAAAH-OOOOOON!" screeched Noivern, launching a Boomburst at Bernice.

"Meet it with a Heat Wave!" ordered Volan. "And Hydreigon, use this chance to give it an Elemental Roulette!"

Bernice unleashed a strong Heat Wave that collided with the Boomburst in an immense conflagration of wind and steam. While the bat-like dragon was distracted, Hydreigon charged a differently-colored ball of energy in each of his mouths, then wrapped them up in shadowy purple miasma before letting them fly.

Noivern caught the three dark spheres out of the corner of its eye and twisted its body around to try and dodge. However, the spheres were purposely launched in a pattern that made it impossible to squeeze by all three, so one of them inevitably ended up striking Noivern's chest. The orb's dark shell burst open to release a roiling blanket of flame that enveloped Noivern completely with a shriek of pain.

 _No…_ Volan thought, frustrated at his bad luck. Elemental Roulette was a technique that disguised a Tri Attack as Dark Pulse, then launched it so that one of them was guaranteed to hit. In this case, the fire-resistant Noivern had managed to luck out.

As if to drive this point home, from out of the smoke came an enormous Dragon Pulse. Wings spread wide and jaws roaring open, it collided with Hydreigon and sent him falling back into the thoroughly-ruined farmer's field.

The main threat now dealt with, Noivern prepared to take out the rest of its foes.

-.-.-.-.-.

"Blanca!" Thrin cried, rushing to her Pokemon's side as she lay in a small crater of upturned soil. "You aren't too badly hurt, are you?"

"Vanill van Vanilluxe…" she murmured, opening both sets of eyes tiredly.

The Gurei girl frowned, wishing not for the first time that she could speak to her Pokemon the way her brother could.

Suddenly, there was a shuffling sound as something stirred within the fallen trees around her. Thrin stiffened and reached for a Poke Ball, only to relax with a relieved smile when a small Pokemon jumped out. It was squat and covered in white fur speckled with bits of red dust. A round, smooth head dominated by immense square-shaped eyes poked out from its thick fur coat.

"I… can't remember seeing anything like you before," Thrin commented. She blinked perplexedly at the creature.

"Spewpa spew!" it answered in a raspy whisper.

"That would make you a Spewpa, then," she decided. "Uh, pleased to meet you, but this isn't exactly the best time…"

"Dreeeeeeiii!"

The scream of Volan's Hydreigon as he uncontrollably descended upon them startled Thrin into looking up towards the incoming dragon. Blanca's eyes widened, and Thrin squeaked with fright, instinctively throwing up her arms to shield herself. Hydreigon's shadow fell upon them, and…

"Speeeewww!"

There was a *THUD*.

When Thrin uncovered her face, she saw that a shimmering blue-green force field had enveloped the area around her and Blanca. In front of them was the Spewpa, its tiny body quivering violently as it maintained the shield. On the other side, Hydreigon slid down the wall and flopped to the ground, unconscious.

"That was Protect!" she murmured, stunned, as Spewpa willed the shield out of existence. "Thanks for, well, protecting us!"

"Spewwww…" the pupa replied, enjoying the praise.

Standing up and recalling Blanca, Thrin regarded the Spewpa with a nod of thanks. "I have to go now, there's a battle we have to finish!"

She dashed off, pushing her way through the damaged trees and making a mental note to let Volan know about Hydreigon's condition. But she didn't get far when Noivern's deafening screech threatened to burst her ears and a Boomburst ripped a trench in the earth at her feet. Thrin screamed as she was flung onto her back, and she faintly heard the Spewpa's indignant squeal as it scampered out of her way.

"Icy Wind!" came Calem's yell.

"Ember!" it was followed by Trevor's shout.

"Bubble!" Tierno's order was third.

The projectile attacks burst out of the foliage from Thrin's left, sailing over her head before she could make the mistake of sitting up straight. Then came Noivern, zooming overhead so close to the ground that Thrin could see streaks of disturbed air trailing from the ends of its wings. With a whistle of wind, Noivern was climbing back into the sky, and the rising screech of draconic energy gathering began to build yet again.

"Bernice, Heat Wave!" Volan commanded, rushing over to stand by his sister.

"Use Bubble!" Tierno and Calem added in unison.

The blast of hot air was followed on either side by two streams of bubbles, which all collided at the point where Noivern had been only a second ago. An explosive cloud of steam spread out like an inflating balloon, out of which Noivern streaked with its jaws already filled to bursting with energy.

" _Look out!_ " Edgar cawed, spreading his wings so fast that he shed several feathers.

"KOO-KOOOOR!" Noivern squawked and released its Dragon Pulse.

Out of reflex, Thrin grabbed the Spewpa and held it in front of her face, pleading, "Use Protect again!"

"Speeeeeeew!" it screamed, scared out of its wits. Its terrified face was illuminated by the blinding light of the incoming attack.

But just then, right as the Dragon-type move was about to hit, a concentrated stream of pure fire streaked past and met it halfway between it and its would-be victims. The resulting explosion was enough to push Volan and Thrin backwards, even though they dug in their heels.

And when they turned around, it was to see a proud-looking Emboar standing directly behind them, smoke wafting from his nostrils.

" _THE CAVALRY HAS ARRIVED!_ " Oliver bellowed, dramatically spewing more fire into the air.

"Nice going, Oliver!" cheered Thrin. "Now give it a Poison Jab!"

The Mega Fire Pig Pokemon leapt upwards with shocking strength, making it all the way up to Noivern's level. His forearm taking on a purple glow, he swung it with all his strength – only for Noivern to back off and leave him to swipe at thin air.

" _Oops…_ " he said lamely, sweatdropping.

"Oo-koo-koor!" Noivern cried, and whipped its tail at him.

Several light-blue Air Slashes collided with Oliver's chest and stomach, momentarily hiding him from view when they burst into whitish smoke. The Fire-and-Fighting-type dropped like a rock and only just managed to land on his feet.

"Keep it busy," Volan requested, stealing a glance at Bernice and giving her a subtle nod. "Bernice and I will finish it for real this time."

"Okay by me, bro!" grinned Tierno. "Squirtle, use Bubble!"

"Squirrrrr!" it gurgled, spitting out its bubbles at a frantic pace.

"And you, Froakie, use Icy Wind!" added Calem.

"Kee kee froa!" it replied, and cupped its hands to deliver another frigid gust.

While Noivern was too busy focusing on Oliver, the attacks hit it in the gut, making it cringe as more frost formed across its chest and wing-pits. The thin layer of ice made it difficult to flap, making its attempts to maneuver much sloppier than before.

As the Flying-and-Dragon-type slowly started to lose altitude despite its frantic wingbeats, Volan caught a flare of golden light from nearby and smirked. "Go get him, Bernice!"

The sky itself seemed to be on fire as Bernice's great golden phoenix carved an elegant upward turn and then dove down upon Noivern. It slammed into its back, driving it into the ground – and when it did hit the ground, the entire thing dissolved and spread out into a wave of hot golden flame that whipped soil off the ground and spontaneously combusted the fallen trees that lay dying on the, by now ruined, field.

"… Is it over?" Trevor dared to ask.

Bernice came flying out of the crater she had smashed, and a low growl came from the bottom as Noivern slowly climbed its way out.

"Nope," said Thrin, raising a fist. "Oliver, Arm Thrust!"

"HOLD IT!" Volan bellowed, abruptly enough to halt the Emboar's charge. In a calmer tone, he went on, "Our goal was just to stop it from doing more damage to Vaniville. To do that, we need to get it away from here. It's obviously not native to this area, just like Edgar's flock – they were chased here, in fact, by this Noivern."

Uncertainly, Calem suggested, "So you're saying that something caused this Noivern to move away from its habitat and into our woods?"

The Gurei boy shook his head. "I don't know what made it decide to move in, but as I said, it doesn't belong. We need to get it out and decide what to do with it."

He reached into the secret, inside pocket of his hoodie and pulled out an empty Poke Ball, right as Noivern made it to the lip of the crater. It stood up on its hind legs and flared out its impressive wingspan, ready to attack – and then the Poke Ball bounced off of its nose and enveloped it in red light.

The dragon vanished, and the ball shook thrice before letting out a burst of sparkles. Noivern had been caught.

-.-.-.-.-.

Volan and Thrin's mother was working late that evening, so after having a modest dinner – their cooking skills were nowhere near the practically-godly levels of those of Emily Gurei – Volan contacted the Sycamore Research Institute from their video phone. There was something he wanted to speak to the good professor about.

Augustine Sycamore was pretty swell, Volan couldn't help but admit that. His mother had been working for him for the past two years, so they had met in person a couple of times. He had an easygoing personality and was smiling pretty much all the time, as if life itself was something to marvel at. Combine that with his fame, youth, and current social status (single), and Volan could certainly see why this guy was popular even outside of Kalos. According to Thrin, he was 'dreamy', but Volan didn't exactly think the appeal went quite _that_ far, for reasons that were probably obvious.

"I see," Professor Sycamore said, later that evening when Volan told him about the events of that afternoon. "I'd been meaning to investigate the rumors of a large Pokemon inhabiting the forest around Vaniville for some time, but right now I'm up to my neck in work relating to my current research. Thank you for telling me, Volan!"

"No problem, sir," Volan nodded graciously. He lifted his arm, displaying the occupied Poke Ball to the man on the other side of the holographic video screen. "I ended up catching it. That's the main reason why I called you – I think it'd best if it's relocated, and, well…"

"You thought that the leading expert of Pokemon in Kalos would be the best person to contact about it," Sycamore nodded. "Of course, it helps that I know your mother so well, but nonetheless. I'd be happy to take Noivern off your hands."

Smiling gratefully, the Gurei boy was about to express his thanks when Thrin walked into the room. She was already in a plain white T-shirt and fuzzy pajama pants, and was clutching a Spewpa close to her chest – she'd decided to catch it soon after the battle on the edge of the forest, thankful for how it had protected her.

"Ah, Thrin!" Sycamore greeted her, voice filtering through the video-phone's speakers. "Good to see you're well, as usual."

Now, Volan had only seen Thrin interact with the professor twice so far, and it was always an affair that made her act seriously out of character. She blushed bright pink, tried to hide it by raising Spewpa up to her face so that only her eyes went unobscured, and giggled like a pre-teen schoolgirl.

It was _creepy_.

Turning back to Volan, Sycamore invited, "Feel free to send me your Noivern straightaway."

A tray slid open on the video phone, with an indentation that was the perfect size for a Poke Ball. Volan placed the capsule securely on the spot that had so kindly been designed for it, watched it glow bright blue, and – bing! It was gone, teleported away to the research lab in Lumiose City.

On the screen, Sycamore's hand came up with the ball clutched in it, and he beamed at the siblings. "It arrived safe and sound! I'll make some notes on it, maybe run some tests, and it'll be back in its natural habitat in a day or two."

"Thank you again, Professor," Volan smiled. Then, as an afterthought – "Excuse me, but do you know if Rudy is alright?"

He had sent his injured Pokemon companion to one of the Pokemon Centers in Lumiose City, where his mom sometimes worked on behalf of Sycamore's research lab, earlier that evening. Taking that second Blizzard from Toby's Beartic had put him in a worrisome state of health.

"Your Krookodile's doing just fine," the professor assured him. "Emily told me that he'll be sent back to the lab as soon as he's had a good night's rest. I'll transport him over tomorrow morning."

"O-Oh, speaking of…" Thrin cut in, her blush deepening to scarlet when she received Sycamore's attention. "D-Do you have any idea when Mom will be home?"

Sycamore nodded. "She's still busy at the moment, but today's work is almost finished," he told him. "We're on the verge of a major breakthrough here at my lab. It's exciting stuff! I'd certainly be happy to give you a lengthy explanation if you ever stop by!"

Pleased at the idea, Thrin giggled again and edged away, the picture of flustered excitement.

A faint smile was on Volan's face when the professor had finished speaking. "That brings me to what I wanted to say next…"

As he took a deep breath, Thrin moved her eyes away from the man on the screen and regarded her brother curiously.

Finally, he spoke his mind. "… I was thinking of going on another journey."

The professor smiled. "Go on…"

-.-.-.-.-.

 **I'm so sorry for the delay! Pokemon Moon, you know! It's even better than Black and White, in my opinion!**

 **Volan's / Thrin's Pokemon will sometimes revert back to untranslated Pokemon-speak in the middle of a battle. It feels weird making them talk in these situations.**

 **So the Pokemon smuggler from that one early anime episode makes an appearance. We also see the XY gang taking their first looks at their Starter Pokemon! And Volan's Hydreigon gets some long-awaited action!**

 **Hydreigon: "** ** _S-Send your reviews, please!_** **"**

 ** _Sonusoptera lapiconfringes_** **= "rock-shattering sound wing"**

 ** _Ignisaurus samuelii_** **= "Samuel's fire reptile"**

 **Send reviews, please!**

 **Next chapter** **: Taking Flight**

 **-.-.-.-.-.**

 **Volan's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Edgar (Murkrow, male)  
** **Ability: Super Luck  
** **Moves: Peck, Astonish, Pursuit, Haze**

 **Thrin's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Spewpa (Spewpa, male)  
** **Ability: Shed Skin  
** **Moves: Stun Spore, Tackle, String Shot, Protect**


	6. Taking Flight

**_Chapter 5 – Taking Flight_**

 **Last time on "Flight of a Legend"…**

 **The Gurei siblings and Vaniville gang rushed out of the woods to see that the monster they had been searching for was in fact an angry Noivern! Once Serena and Shauna hustled the younger kids under their protection straight home, the real battle began, with Calem and the others assisting Volan and Thrin in defeating the terrible dragon. When it ended, Volan had caught it in a Poke Ball while Thrin had bonded with a Spewpa that had saved her during the battle. Later that evening, Volan contacted Professor Sycamore…**

-.-.-.-.-.

The following morning, there was some unusual activity going on in the Gurei's backyard.

"Again!" demanded Volan. "Rickie, Hydro Pump! Petrie, cut through it with Dragon Claw!"

A high-pressure torrent of water blasted from Rickie's gaping mouth, aimed directly at a battered Petrie. Still with plenty of energy left, the Archeops readied his claws and formed a pair of green 'gloves' tipped with three razor-sharp points. It was the same move he had learned during the Battle of Vertress, but with a wildly different and more dramatic display. Petrie held his arms directly in front of him and charged forward, using his glowing talons to pierce the Hydro Pump. For several seconds, the water split off in two directions without touching him, but eventually it got to be too much for him.

Petrie howled as the Hydro Pump promptly overpowered him, destroying his energized claws and blasting him off of his feet to land in a heap of soggy feathers. When he got up, a red light flared into existence around him, indicating that his crippling Defeatist ability had just activated.

This was what Volan had been waiting for, and was the entire reason for this training exercise. "Come on, Petrie!" he said encouragingly from where he watched on the sidelines. "You've overcome your ability before, back during your battles with Thrin and Ghetsis. Surely you have it in you to do it again!"

On Volan's command, Rickie unleashed another Hydro Pump, which Petrie was all too ready to dodge. Defeatist was a strange ability, effectively placing restraints on what would otherwise be an unstoppable reservoir of prehistoric power – one good hit would send Petrie's self-preservative instincts into overdrive, terrifying him into holding back until he could get away from the danger. It was a powerful instinct, but one that Petrie had ultimately overcome not once, but twice.

"Acrobatics!" Volan yelled.

But Petrie showed no signs of changing. He didn't charge straight into battle, he meekly zigzagged forward while keeping a noticeable distance between him and Rickie. Only when he circled around to where Rickie couldn't see him, did he attack, but only with half-hearted, cringing kicks and wing-slaps.

There was no point to continuing this training session. "Time out, you two," Volan called, rushing over with a bottle of Potion in his hands. "I think that's enough for now. I really wish we could unlock the secret to beating Petrie's ability…"

" _S-Sorry,_ " the First Bird Pokemon apologized meekly, squeezing his eyes shut as his master sprayed his wounds with the healing medicine. " _Petrie just can't help but be scared. Get hurt, and then no want to get hurt anymore._ "

"I understand," Volan smiled kindly, and patted him on the head. "Sorry for putting you through that. But someday we'll find out how to do it again, and you won't need to be scared ever again."

Feeling much better now, Petrie let out a chirrup and licked the side of his face as a thank-you.

The sound of a door swinging shut came from the other side of the yard, where Thrin was coming out of the house with her Spewpa in her arms again. When she was close enough, she suggested to her brother, "Maybe Petrie could only do it because the stakes were so high. You know, desperate times call for desperate measures, and all that."

Nodding, Volan gave her words serious consideration. It was certainly true that a lot had been hanging in the balance when the two of them had fought in Vertress City – and that went double for Volan's final battle with Ghetsis, the sadistic leader of Team Plasma. Perhaps that had been what motivated Petrie into putting aside his very nature and giving everything he had in defense of Unova.

"You excited?" Thrin asked from out of the blue.

Volan was jerked from his thoughts by her voice, and he spent a couple of seconds trying to get his brain to catch up enough to form an answer. "Yes," he smiled. "We're leaving tomorrow, once we've got our things packed."

" _We leaving where?_ " asked Petrie, blinking.

At that, Volan cringed – he hadn't yet broken the news to his team yet. Bernice was with him practically 24/7, so naturally she was the exception. But the others still had to be informed of his latest life-changing decision.

"Rickie? Petrie?" he inquired of his Pokemon. "Could the two of you get the rest of the team?"

Once the entire team was assembled in the yard – and while Thrin and Spewpa looked on – Volan dropped the bomb with all the subtlety of a maddened Tyranitar.

"Thrin and I have decided that we want to go on another journey across Kalos," he told them.

Initially, his Pokemon were shocked, exchanging looks of surprise and murmuring amongst themselves. But once it sunk in, the expressions of delight and excitement began to bloom on their faces, and their chatter increased in volume. Even Sol was uncharacteristically talkative. It was a scene that filled Volan with regret, as the details were sure to break their hearts.

Rickie, ever the observant one, was the first to point it out. " _What's wrong, Volan?_ " he asked, cutting through the voices of his comrades. " _You look awfully glum for someone who's about to head out on another adventure._ "

" _Yeah, you should be getting excited too!_ " added Grunge, the next to notice that something was amiss.

"No, I am excited – don't get me wrong," Volan was hasty to assure them. "It's just that not all of you can come along."

The Pokemon quieted, worry and confusion replacing their previous enthusiasm.

" _I knew it,_ " Hydreigon moaned, hanging his heads. " _Y-You're booting me from the team, a-aren't you…_ "

Alarm shot through Volan's system. "No, no, that's not it at all!" he protested, eyes wide. "Hydreigon, even after all this time, you still think I'd do that to you?"

" _Youse is just jumpin' ta conclusions again,_ " Edgar remarked. " _Jus' let 'im explain and you won't have nuttin' ta worry about._ "

His heart racing at a mile a minute from the scare Hydreigon's pessimism had given him, Volan let out a deep breath to calm himself before he could start again. "Toby said something to me the yesterday when we battled," he explained. "He said that I should build up a team of Flying-types if I liked them so much. I'm usually not one to give any thought to what idiots like him say… but I _do_ like Flying-types, and I've realized that more and more these past few years."

Now, the Pokemon had lost all traces of worry, even Hydreigon. They were listening patiently, giving real consideration to his words, like true friends would.

Volan smiled faintly as he continued. "I've been thinking about what I want to do with my life if I ever retire from being a Trainer. More and more I've been thinking about attending a university and getting a degree in Pokemon ornithology… it's just something that's really speaking to me, you know? I feel I could make a good and enjoyable career out of it. And I realized that doing what Toby suggested would actually be helpful. By training a team of Flying-types, I could learn so much more about them, and I honestly think it'd be a dream come true if I traveled Kalos with a full team of my favorite type of Pokemon."

" _So the majority of us are gonna be staying here, then,_ " deduced Rudy. He raised a hand before Volan could even open his mouth. " _Now don't ya say nothin' about bein' sorry! Yer our master an' our best pal, and we're behind ya a hundred-an'-ten percent no matter what ya wanna do. That's what friends are for, ain't it?_ "

"I discussed it with Professor Sycamore – Mom's employer – last night," Volan said by way of answer. "You'll all be spending your time at his research lab. It's bigger than Professor Juniper's back home in Unova, and it has plenty of space for all kinds of Pokemon. The most he's going to ask of you are opportunities for study and maybe to help out with chores. It'll be better than staying here."

" _All of us?_ " Ulna latched on to that one detail and pressed the matter further. " _You mean, me and Bernice and Petrie aren't coming along, even though we're Flying-types and could still be part of your team?_ "

This time, the smile on Volan's face was purely apologetic. "I don't want for it to seem like I'm playing favorites within the group," he told her. "You've all already been on a journey with me, and it wouldn't be fair if some of you got to go on a second journey because you happen to be the type of Pokemon I want to train."

" _And Miss Bernice is okay with this?_ " questioned Sol.

A heavy sigh blew from the Proud Pokemon's beak. " _No, I'm not,_ " she grumbled. " _But Volan is my friend, and this is what friends do. Besides, Edgar will be with him, and I suppose he's proved himself trustworthy…_ "

" _Ay ay ay!_ " Edgar protested. " _You 'suppose'? Woman, I know ya ain't tryin' ta flatter me or nuttin', but cut me a bit o' slack, wouldja? I'm as loyal to da boss as much as the next 'mon. He's in good talons here._ "

Sighing in relief, the Gurei boy adjusted his glasses and stepped back to regard his Pokemon. "So, everyone's good with this?" he asked tentatively.

" _Yep,_ " Ulna replied.

" _Positively~!_ " gurgled Sapphire.

" _Good luck out there!_ " Grunge enthused.

" _Feel free to call if you need Petrie's help!_ " chirped Petrie.

Volan started to feel tears come to his eyes. He couldn't help it. Even though they were a team, bonded by something even stronger than friendship, and would always be together, there was something about saying goodbye that tugged at Volan's heartstrings.

Smiling a wobbly smile, he silently opened his arms to invite his Pokemon in for a group hug. Immediately, he found himself surrounded, arms and wings wrapping tightly around him as each Pokemon wished him goodbye and good luck. And when they separated, Volan didn't even get a moment to breathe. There hadn't been much room for Sapphire in their group embrace, and so she pounced on him the second she had the chance, giggling madly as the two fell to the ground. Volan found himself covered in slime from the over-affectionate hurricane of wet kisses she planted all over his face. All the while, though, he was grinning – the Frillish hadn't changed even a little in the two years since the day she joined him.

It was also the day that her parents, the Jellicent rulers of Undella Bay, had accepted him into their family for his help in driving away the criminal that had destroyed their undersea castle. That basically made Sapphire his surrogate sister, and she _definitely_ took advantage of it.

Unsurprisingly, Thrin was laughing as she helped Volan extract himself from the loving tentacles of the bubbly Water-and-Ghost-type. Appreciating the thought behind the overwhelming affection, Volan gave Sapphire a gentle hug back, careful of the paralyzing poison that coated her skin. She made a pleased trilling noise and blushed.

"Be good for Professor Sycamore, alright?" Volan said to the group. "I'll visit when Thrin and I arrive in Lumiose City."

The Pokemon let out a unanimous cheer at that, and they were all grinning as widely as their Trainer when they were called back to their Poke Balls.

-.-.-.-.-.

The transfers had been made, and all of Volan and Thrin's Pokemon had arrived without trouble at Sycamore's research lab. The siblings went down to the foyer to say farewell to their mother, who was trying to get her shoes on in a hurry so she wouldn't be late for work.

Of course, the Gureis had notified Emily of their plans to travel across Kalos the night before, so her face was clear of concern when she turned to give them her blessings.

"Stay safe out there, you hear?" she stressed. "Kalos is a big place, and dangerous too."

"We survived Unova," Thrin all but chirped. "We've also got our Unova teams to call upon for emergencies, and with no Team Plasma running around, Kalos is going to be no trouble at all."

Emily laughed at her daughter's optimism. "What are the two of you planning to do on your journey together?"

"I'm going to give the Kalos League a shot," Volan confessed, kicking at the tiles beneath his feet sheepishly. "The Unova League was a lot of fun – I got all the way up to the semifinals, which was amazing for my first try, and my Pokemon really enjoyed it as well. And then it got cut short in the final match, because Team Plasma interfered… so what I mean to say is that it'd be great to compete in a League again, and maybe even win it this time. And hopefully, this one won't be interrupted."

"You go for it, Volan," his mother encouraged him. "If anyone can, it's you."

That was when she turned to Thrin. "And you, dear? What do you want to do?"

At first, Thrin was quiet.

Then… "I'm going to challenge the Kalos League as well."

While Emily beamed, Volan felt his jaw go slack.

 _She's… what?_ he thought, astonished.

"The reason I didn't do the Unova League was because… I guess I didn't feel up to it," Thrin admitted. "And then, during the showdown with Team Plasma, I fought Volan and almost won, even though I don't remember much about it…"

Despite himself, Volan nodded along in sympathy. Thrin hadn't meant to fight against him – she'd been hypnotized like so many other pawns of Team Plasma, his own Hydreigon included, and used by Ghetsis only to buy time for his son's victory. Of course, that plan hadn't worked, but Thrin had nonetheless proved herself a capable Trainer during that battle.

"Now, though," the Gurei girl went on, "I know I can do it. I've trained a team of Pokemon that went head-to-head with Volan's, and I battled alongside him during the Battle of Vertress. This time, I'm going to test myself to see how far I can really go!"

Tears welled in Volan's eyes as he regained control over his mouth and shut it. He could scarcely believe it. He and Thrin… they'd be going on a journey with a common goal, to win big in the Kalos League. His chest swelled with such pride that he thought he might burst.

As much as he was, Emily was swelling and getting dewy-eyed as well. She knelt down in front of Thrin and reached up to clasp her sixteen-and-a-half-year-old daughter by the shoulders, ending up about a couple of heads below her.

"Good for you, Thrin," Emily congratulated her. "Get out there and give it your all. I can't wait to see you and Volan step into that stadium. The two of you will be great!"

She stood up and brought both of her children in for a hug. "I'll see you in Lumiose?" she asked.

"Of course," they chorused, throwing their arms around her and squeezing.

Withdrawing, Emily shifted her purse onto her shoulder and then leaned in to give each of them a peck on the cheek. "Have fun," she smiled. "And make sure to call me regularly so I know how you're doing."

"We will," the brother and sister said, once again in unison. "Love you, Mom."

She left the house, shutting the door with a bit of force to ensure it didn't get stuck when it hit the doorframe. When they heard the final *click* of the door closing, Volan and Thrin looked at each other knowingly.

"We should probably pack," Thrin stated.

"Yes, we should," Volan agreed, having been thinking the exact same thing.

Almost immediately, Thrin paused. "Wait! Hold on, we should probably feed Edgar and Spewpa before we go upstairs. Now where'd that sneaky little Bug-type wander off to?"

She asked that last part to herself, planting her hands on her hips and gazing around the foyer as if she expected her Pokemon to be hiding somewhere nearby.

"That reminds me," Volan spoke up, curious. "Aren't you going to give Spewpa a nickname? I mean, you've done it with all of your other Pokemon…"

"Oh, I am," his sister assured him. "I'm just waiting for it to evolve. I've heard that Vivillon – Spewpa's evolved form – come in many different colors and patterns, so I'd like to give it a name that really suits it."

There wasn't any doubt that Volan agreed with that logic. He liked giving his Pokemon meaningful names. While a name gave them individuality, a well thought-out one gave them additional depth – and helped others recognize that their Trainer had knowledge that went beyond just the basics.

Inwardly, Volan cringed. _The basics_. He hated that phrase.

They went upstairs together and then split off to enter their separate rooms and dig their old backpacks out from their respective closets. The good thing about their rooms was that they were located directly across from one another on opposite ends of the narrow hallway, making it very easy to talk when both their doors were open. So after they had finished brushing the dust from the backpacks that hadn't seen any use since the Unova League, they were firing alternating reminders back and forth.

"Extra clothes," Thrin called over her shoulder.

"Food to last us until the next city," replied Volan.

"Town Map." And subsequently, the electronic device went flying into Volan's room to be impressively caught out of the air.

"Empty Poke Balls." Several capsules went flying in the opposite direction.

"Pokemon food."

"Camping gear."

"Cold weather gear."

"Annoyingly-outdated Pokedexes."

Packing did not take long. It helped that modern backpacks were specially designed to hold anything and everything that was necessary for a journey across a region. How stuffing a pocket dimension into a backpack was even possible, Volan didn't know. Maybe Palkia owned the company. He wouldn't be surprised, considering all the weird things that had happened to him two years ago.

Edgar and Spewpa were waiting for them in the kitchen, beside two empty bowls of Pokemon food. As Thrin picked Spewpa up in her arms and cooed something to the adorably fluffy insect, Volan approached Edgar and lifted his arm as an invitation to use it as a perch. Needless to say, he accepted immediately.

" _All ready to go den, Boss?_ " the Murkrow asked.

"We're not leaving until later this afternoon," Volan replied, giving him a little scratch to the back of his head. He shook out his feathers and cawed appreciatively at the gesture. "I have a couple more things I need to do, and then we're having lunch. _Then_ we're going."

" _Hurry up, I'm gettin' antsy,_ " Edgar said, though with no real edge to his words.

With that, he flapped his wings and released his grip on his Trainer's arm before soaring off to the living room, probably to go look out the window.

Mounted in the corner of the kitchen was the Gureis' video phone. It had only been about twelve hours since he had used it last, but he found himself in front of it once again as he punched in a familiar number. There was someone he wanted to speak to in person – well, not in person, but he wanted to see her face as he broke the news.

There was nothing he could do to stop the flutter in his chest when the screen flickered on and a pair of gorgeous green eyes stared back at him.

Volan had known Caitlin for six years, since that same fateful day he and Bernice had lost that battle to Toby. Caitlin had been the one to approach him and give him the comfort he needed, after the audience that had gathered to watch the battle had so callously abandoned him. She was the first true friend he had made, and it was only several years later, when they had met once again during Volan's journey, that he realized that he was deeply in love with her.

Caitlin was the most beautiful girl to grace the world with her existence and a ridiculously powerful Trainer – one of Unova's Elite Four, in fact – but to Volan, those were just bonuses. It had been Caitlin's pure heart and the sheer kindness she treated him with that had really gotten him to fall for her. To this very day, two years after they'd started dating, Volan could never suppress the feelings that rushed to the surface whenever he laid eyes on her.

"It's so nice to see you again, Volan," she greeted him sweetly, her smile bright enough to illuminate Volan's universe.

Her jeweled emerald eyes were still the same. Her lovely peacock's tail of blonde hair was still the same. Her heavenly voice was still the same. Volan's only regret was that he could no longer see or hear her in person.

(Yes, he was still as madly in love with her as he was when they had started their relationship.)

"It's always nice to see you, Caitlin," he replied earnestly.

Her giggle was music to his ears. "You flirt," she teased him, although she was blushing. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I'm going on another journey," Volan informed her. "Across Kalos, I mean. I want to compete in the League later this summer."

Caitlin gasped in delight. "Oh, that's wonderful!" she gushed, eyes glimmering. "I was so disappointed when you told me you weren't competing in the one last year. Good for you!"

"Th-Thanks," he grinned. The enthusiasm with which she spoke, directed at him no less, flustered him a little. "I'll still call you every chance I get. I only wanted to tell you because I didn't want you assuming the worst if my calls got less frequent."

"I appreciate your concern," Caitlin said. The excited glint in her eyes did not go away as she leaned closer to the screen. "But you're not the only one with good news."

"Yes?" he prompted her.

She leaned back again, answering with a question. "Do you remember my younger sister, Na– Yancy?"

He nodded emphatically. "I do remember her, yes. The one whose cross-transceiver I returned shortly before the Clubsplosion tournament."

"Well," Caitlin continued, her smile turning wry as she stretched the syllable out. She was deliberately keeping him in suspense now. "She came home today with a little surprise from her work. Apparently her boss decided that she was due for a reward for working so hard…"

"Yes?" Volan asked again. "Come on, Caitlin, you're killing me!"

She laughed this time, and her hand rose up from below the screen. Clutched in her fingers were two flat pieces of paper, and excitement made her eyes sparkle again.

"Plane tickets to Kalos," she gleefully told him. "Yancy and I are leaving in less than a week."

Volan was scarcely able to breathe as the magnitude of what she was insinuating hit him all at once. She was coming to Kalos. His dear, sweet Caitlin was coming back to him. At long last, he'd be able to hold her in his arms again, listen to her musical voice with his own ears and admire her otherworldly beauty with his own eyes.

 _You're being surprisingly poetic considering the situation,_ an internal voice piped up.

 _Stop ruining the moment,_ he scolded it.

"I'm taking your speechlessness to mean that you're pleased," Caitlin giggled.

"A-Are you _kidding_?!" Volan burst out all at once, grinning from ear to ear. "Th-This is the best news I've had all year! W-We can _see_ each other again!"

"I was just as excited when Yancy pointed that out to me, too," she remarked, matching his ecstatic expression. "I've missed you so much, Volan. Talking to you like this is nice, but…"

"The real thing is better," he finished for her, nodding. His sentiments were exactly the same, making it easy to understand what she meant.

They stared wistfully at one another for a few seconds, sharing a tender moment.

"You probably have a journey to prepare for, don't you?" she suddenly asked, turning delicate pink. "I'm sorry for keeping you."

"No, it's okay," he reassured her. "I'm the one who called, don't forget. I'm really looking forward to seeing you again, Caitlin."

"Goodbye, then," she responded, waving. "I'll be cheering you on. For the Kalos League, I mean. Tell Thrin I'll do the same for her."

Volan swore that he could feel himself turning to mush. "Thank you. Your support means a lot to me… my princess."

The maiden's smile was nothing short of dazzling.

"I love you," she cooed.

"I love you back," he answered.

She blew him a loving kiss, and then the call ended. Although the screen was now blank, Volan stared longingly at it while pretending to grab her kiss and hold it close to his heart.

She was _coming back_.

Nothing could break Volan out of his reverie.

Then a voice came from behind him. " _Now dat,_ " it spoke bluntly, " _has gotta be the most disgustingly sappy ting I has ever seen._ "

Without paying his remark any heed, Volan turned around and grabbed the Murkrow from off the kitchen table, smothering him in an Ursaring hug. "She's coming _back_!" he exclaimed, unable to contain himself.

Meanwhile, Edgar's talons thrashed uselessly and his neck stretched out as he fruitlessly fought to clamber out of his grip. " _I'm happy for youse, I really am,_ " he croaked, " _but all the same, wouldja mind loosenin' up on da stranglehold, Boss?_ "

Letting go, Volan fidgeted with embarrassment as the Dark-and-Flying-type clumsily fluttered back to the table to reorganize his feathers. He muttered a quick apology and hastily strode out of the room.

"Done talking to your girlfriend?" was the remark Thrin had waiting for him when he left the kitchen. "Listen, we should probably have lunch soon. The clock's approaching noon and I'd really like to be out by then."

"Sure," Volan accepted her request. He began to head up the stairs, calling over his shoulder, "I'll be back down in a minute or two!"

There was still one more thing Volan wanted to do…

-.-.-.-.-.

 **Volan is now online.**

 **Volan:** Hey guys, I've got news.

 **Bianca:** What is it volan?

 **Volan:** Thrin and I are going on another journey in Kalos. We're competing in the Kalos League.

 **Stephan:** damn that's awesome

 **Bianca:** Good luck to both of you! :3

 **Volan:** I'll come online whenever we stop at a Pokemon Center so I can update you on how things are going.

 **Stephan:** youd better win it all man

 **Volan:** No guarantees. But I'll try my hardest.

Suddenly, a chime sounded from the laptop's speakers, notifying Volan that another of his Unovan friends had just joined the chat.

 **Will is now online.**

 **Bianca:** Hi will! Long time no see!

 **Will:** Hi guys sorry about my absence. Work's been busy

Volan nodded to himself, understanding. He had met Will in Unova, but the Trainer was actually from Johto and worked as an assistant for a traveling archaeologist. He knew Will fairly well and considered him a nice person, despite his sarcastic sense of humor. However, as Volan had found out the hard way, his online persona was a whole other story.

 **Stephan:** find anything cool with your boss?

 **Will:** We got a Helix fossil in Kanto. Exciting stuff

 **Will:** helixfossil . jpeg

The image he'd sent was not an actual photo of the fossilized Pokemon he and his superior had unearthed – rather, it was a popular Internet meme of a stylized spiral-shaped shell and the words "Praise be to Helix" in bold block letters.

 **Volan:** Do you ever stop with the memes?

 **Will:** U mad bro? XD

 **Will:** But I won't do it again

 **Will:** Trust meme

 **Stephan:** that's it im out, good luck in the league volan

 **Stephan has left the group chat.**

 **Will:** I didn't meme it

 **Bianca:** Will pls

 **Will:** I have to spread the love from meme to you

 **Bianca:** -_-

 **Bianca has left the group chat.**

 **Volan:** …

 **Volan:** Keep this up and you might not have any more friends.

 **Will:** What? It's in my blood

 **Volan:** Just stop overdoing it.

 **Will:** Meme-oglobin :P

 **Volan has left the group chat.**

-.-.-.-.-.

 **The return of Voltlin!**

 **Thanks to my good buddy TrainerNaps for inspiring me to make the Unovan group chat an ongoing thing, and for letting me borrow Will again. His Internet persona is vastly different from his regular self…**

 **In the next chapter, the Flight of a Legend begins! The Gureis are going for the Kalos League, and we should pity anyone that gets in the way of their conquest! So stay tuned, and please give me some reviews!**

 **Next update** **: Thrin Starts Strong**

 **Chapter Question #1: In honor of Pokemon Sun and Moon, I'm bringing back the Chapter Questions early! So, for those who have the game, what do you think of it?**

 **Sorry, Black and White. BEST POKEMON GAME EVER.**

 **-.-.-.-.-.**

 **Volan's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Edgar (Murkrow, male)  
** **Ability: Super Luck  
** **Moves: Peck, Astonish, Pursuit, Haze**

 **Thrin's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Spewpa (Spewpa, male)  
** **Ability: Shed Skin  
** **Moves: Stun Spore, Tackle, String Shot, Protect**


	7. Thrin Starts Strong

**_Chapter 6 – Thrin Starts Strong_**

 **Last time on "Flight of a Legend"…**

 **It was decided that Volan and Thrin would be taking a second journey, this time across Kalos! Volan informed his team that he would be starting fresh with a brand-new team, and vowed to train nothing but Flying-types. Thrin also wanted to form a new team, starting with her Spewpa, and expressed interest in joining the Kalos League alongside her brother. Before they left that afternoon, Volan made sure to inform Caitlin and his Unovan friends about his decision, and they replied that they would cheer him on.**

-.-.-.-.-.

By the time Volan and Thrin locked the house, pushed past the gate, left Vaniville Town behind forever, and strode into Aquacorde Town with their Poke Balls at their belts and their backpacks set upon their shoulders, their friends had already been long gone.

Calem, Serena, Shauna, Trevor, and Tierno had left earlier that morning, having already obtained their Starter Pokemon during the battle with the rampaging Noivern. Now that Shauna and Trevor were fifteen, all of them could officially go on their journeys across Kalos together. Neither Volan nor Thrin had been surprised at all to learn – via video call from Calem's mother and father – that their Kalosian friends had gotten up early to begin their adventures.

And Volan wouldn't be surprised, either, if the group of five eventually split up sooner or later. As they got comfortable with their own paces, some would pull ahead and others would lag behind. They discussed the subject on the path to Aquacorde. It wouldn't be bad at all if one of them ended up tagging along, like Stephan and eventually Bianca had back in Unova.

But the Gurei siblings were experienced with the life of a Trainer and the glory that came with it. They didn't want to brag, but they felt that they would catch up to their friends in due time.

First, though, they'd have to go through Route 2.

Found directly opposite the path connecting Aquacorde and Vaniville, Route 2 was perfect for the beginning Trainer. Unlike the forest that Volan and Thrin had trekked through once upon a time, it was a nice, easy grassland that stretched for a few kilometers toward the dense woods found further north. It was home to a large variety of wild Pokemon, none of which were bigger than a Seismitoad (and Volan should know), and such diversity offered rookie Trainers a wide selection of options when it came to building a team.

However, neither Volan nor Thrin were particularly interested in catching anything. Instead, they were going to take it easy on this first day of traveling, and focus primarily on starting to further train Edgar and Spewpa.

Both of the Gurei siblings had dressed for the occasion. Volan still wore his loose silver pants and light, green hoodie, but underneath was now a plain black shirt with long sleeves (although those remained hidden under the aforementioned hoodie) for extra insulation against the wind. It was the beginning of summer, but there was still a touch of cool spring weather in the blowing breeze. Thrin, however, did not fear the cold, and wore a completely different outfit – a white tank top and sleeveless pink vest, along with a matching pink baseball cap and a pair of skinny jeans. Her brown hair was done up in a ponytail that cascaded down her back, for practicality's sake.

"So," Volan spoke up over the gentle breeze that blew through the area, about an hour after they had first left the town behind. "Got any ideas about how you're going to start training your Spewpa?"

Thrin glanced at him and caught the questioning look he was throwing at her. She shook her head and sighed. "If he was still a Scatterbug, then yes, I would've thought of something. But cocoon Pokemon don't learn any new moves until they hatch out. I stole one of your books last night and looked it up."

In mock annoyance, Volan took off his hat and lightly swatted her upside the head with it. "You could've simply asked," he told her, unable to keep the grin off his face.

"Didn't want to," Thrin grinned back. "But honestly, how great is this, right? The two of us, one Pokemon each, strolling down a wild Pokemon-infested route with our first Gym challenge waiting somewhere ahead."

"Just like old times," agreed Volan. He put his hat back on and gave his sister a quick fist-bump.

"By the way, any idea about when Edgar is coming back?" she asked, blue eyes scanning the cloudless sky. Volan had sent the Murkrow out on a relaxing flight to stretch his wings.

Turning his eyes upwards as well, he replied, "No, but he'll certainly be back. I trust him to come back when he's ready."

A dense forest of knee-high tall grass spread out in front of them when they climbed their way up a small hill. Volan knew that grass of that height was a prime hiding place for small Pokemon, which would jump out if they were disturbed. Patches of grass such as that were excellent places to search if one was on the lookout for a new Pokemon.

"Let's just go straight through," Thrin said, shrugging. "If anything pops out at us, I can send out Spewpa to battle it and raise his experience."

Nodding, Volan allowed her to lead the way down the knoll and into the thigh-deep grass. Fortunately for them, their legs were protected by pants, saving them the unpleasant sensation of having the green blades tickle and scratch at their bare skin.

They had waded about halfway through the grass with no problems when, all of a sudden, there was movement everywhere. The green sea exploded with red and white as a previously hidden flock of Fletchling took to the air, frightened away by the two humans' approach. Raising one heck of a ruckus with their furious tweeting calls, the small Normal-and-Flying-types had soon disappeared into the vastness of the sky, but one had remained.

"Fleeeeeeetch!" it cried angrily, dive-bombing the closest one to it, Thrin, with a gravity-aided Peck attack.

The Gurei girl ducked so that the Fletchling swooped right over her head, stirring her hair with its wings. When she got up, she was already winding up to throw Spewpa's Poke Ball. "Spewpa, come out for battle training!"

The furry cocoon emerged from the capsule with a somewhat bewildered look. That, however, cleared up very fast when he saw the Fletchling circling around for another attempt, and his eyes narrowed with determination. He knew that this would be his first battle, and that he should do his Trainer proud.

"Begin with String Shot!" called Thrin.

"Spew!" squeaked Spewpa, and a sticky white string was launched into the air from a spot just below his eyes.

Fletchling, being the agile little songbird it was, deftly dodged the thread and began another power dive, its beak glowing brightly as it prepared to Peck into Spewpa's exoskeleton.

"Meet it with Tackle!" Thrin ordered. "Make it as powerful as you can!"

"Paaaaaa!" Spewpa cried. He tensed his body up, seeming to crouch, before springing high into the air like a furry rocket.

"Liiiiiing!" Fletchling shrilled, tucking its wings in.

The two Pokemon met with an impact that sent a shockwave out to rustle the grass, then broke apart midair. Spewpa easily landed on his feet (if he even had them, that is) while Fletchling regained its balance and hovered for a moment. The two seemed evenly matched.

This time, Fletchling used Quick Attack. It absorbed white light into its feathers, surrounding itself with an aura, before blasting the light out behind it as it exploded forward at near supersonic speed.

"Stun Spore!" called Thrin.

Spewpa screwed his eyes tightly shut and fluffed out all his fur at once, causing a cloud of sparkling yellow powder to instantly burst around him and hide him from view. Fletchling dove straight into the cloud, then there was the sound of it striking something solid before it flew out into the open again. But from the way it faltered in the air, its wings pausing occasionally as they flapped, Thrin could tell that it had been affected by the spores.

"Now's our chance, Spewpa!" she announced. "When it makes another pass, get it with Tackle!"

"Spewwwww…" the Scatterdust Pokemon muttered in reply. " _I'm fine, thanks for asking…_ "

Giving himself a quick shake, Spewpa jumped into the air when Fletchling got close enough. This time, he hit his mark without resistance, slamming into the Tiny Robin Pokemon's gut and flinging it across the grass field.

"Nice job!" Thrin praised, to Spewpa's pleasure.

On the sidelines, Volan watched with a smile on her face. She called out her orders with such confidence, quickly enough to make anyone else think she was commanding Spewpa to do whatever random attack entered her mind next. But Volan knew differently. Spewpa was executing Thrin's commands perfectly, and he could tell that every move was orchestrated according to Thrin's plan.

She was an excellent Trainer. Swift-minded, able to think on her feet, and with no qualms about improvising. She had turned Fletchling's Quick Attack against it by setting up a makeshift shield with Stun Spore.

"It's coming in for another go!" Thrin realized, seeing Fletchling glowing white again and streaking down towards Spewpa despite its paralysis. "Use Protect, then get it with Tackle!"

Bristling enough to make his fur rustle audibly, Spewpa conjured up a shimmering green barrier that completely enveloped the area in front of him and around his sides, leaving only his backside unprotected. But Fletchling bounced off the force field with a chirp of pain, momentarily stunned from the impact. It was enough time for Spewpa to drop the shield and smash his large head into it again.

This time, Fletchling landed on the ground, some distance away from the grass in which they had fought.

"Is it knocked out?" Thrin inquired, rushing through the remainder of the grass in pursuit of the wild Pokemon.

"You could catch it if that's the case!" Volan was sure to remind her as he chased after her.

When their feet were resting on regular short grass again, they had a clear view of the tiny Fletchling laying there in the middle of the meadow. It was shivering with pain, but that was the only movement it made.

"You know, I think I will!" smirked Thrin, and drew an empty Poke Ball from off her belt.

Taking careful aim, she pressed the button on the capsule to enlarge it and pointed it at the unmoving Fletchling. "Let's go! Do your stuff, ball!"

She hurled it, and its trajectory carried it in a parabolic arc toward the Normal-and-Flying-type. Right as it was about to strike its target, though, a brown blur darted out from a second patch of grass, somewhere off to the side. It rammed the Poke Ball, sending it hurtling away from the Fletchling to break against a flat rock nearby.

"What the –" Thrin attempted to say, then cut herself off, too shocked and outraged to continue her thought aloud.

The newcomer, a Zigzagoon, planted its feet apart and growled threateningly at the Gurei girl when she tried to step closer. Spewpa hopped forward to defend his mistress, and after a short few seconds of posturing between the two Pokemon, a distant rustle caught their attention. Wading through the same patch of grass that the Zigzagoon had come from was a boy several years younger than either Volan or Thrin, clad in a bright yellow T-shirt as well as blue shorts and a matching cap.

 _Judging from his height and ostentatious outfit,_ Volan mused to himself, _he's a rookie Trainer._

He chuckled. _That means he has no idea what he just got himself into._

"Stay back, kid!" the boy yelled, talking down to Thrin as if she were the one who was a head shorter than _him_. "That Fletchling is mine!"

The shock wearing off, Thrin stepped forward and scowled. "Says who? The one who ordered his Pokemon to punt my Poke Ball out of the way?"

"I saw it first!" the boy insisted, scrunching his face up to match Thrin's glowering look.

"Goon!" barked his Zigzagoon.

"I'm the one who was battling it!" she shot back. "You think that Fletchling just drop out of the sky for Trainers to come along and catch?"

Ignoring her impeccable logic, Yellow Shirt's scowl deepened. "Liar!" he accused. "I was on my way over to get it when you stomped over and tried to steal it out from under my nose!"

"Spewwwww…" Spewpa hissed in annoyance.

"Couldn't have put it any better myself," Thrin agreed with her Pokemon, despite the language barrier.

About to argue his case further, a chirp from behind drew Yellow Shirt's attention away from the older girl. As they watched, the Fletchling got up, shook itself, and flew off into the vast blue yonder with a slight wobble in its flight path.

"Agghh, we were so close to catching it!" Yellow Shirt wailed, grabbing tufts of his hair in frustration. Then he whipped back around to face Thrin again, anger clouding his features. "Now look what you did! You distracted me so that it could get away!"

Nostrils flaring, Thrin quipped, "And you made me waste a Poke Ball. Those don't grow on trees, you know. Now we're even."

"We're not even close to even!" shouted Yellow Shirt. "I challenge you to a Pokemon battle! Next time you'll think twice about trying to steal someone else's Pokemon!"

By now, Thrin's face was turning red. Her mouth made incomprehensible noises for a moment until she regained enough control over it to spit, "Fine. Have it your way."

As her demanding opponent moved into position a safe distance away, Thrin spun around and silently glared at her brother with anger sparking in her eyes. _Can you believe this kid?_ her furious gaze seemed to say.

"Unfortunately, yes," Volan replied drolly. "Have at him, Thrin. He doesn't know who he's messing with."

"Darn _right_ he doesn't," Thrin growled out, and her and Spewpa got into position themselves.

To himself, Volan winced. She was mad alright, and that wasn't good. Her antagonist didn't have an inkling of what was coming his way.

The flapping of wings reached his ears, and he turned around with only mild surprise to see Edgar making his way back to him, skimming the grassy surface of a hill before settling onto his master's shoulder.

" _I leave fer less den an hour and youse is already gettin' inta trouble,_ " Edgar remarked. " _What's a guy ta do wit youse twos, huh?_ "

"Will you be willing to help Thrin if her opponent uses more than one Pokemon?" Volan asked. "She only has Spewpa with her, and I don't know how many the other guy has."

" _Guess I could be of some assistance, if it comes to dat,_ " the Murkrow nodded.

That done, the two of them found a spot on the ground to sit down and relax as they watched the battle between Thrin and Yellow Shirt. Already, in both combatants' impatience to settle their differences, the action was starting to unfold.

"Use Tackle!" Yellow Shirt yelled.

"Zig!" Zigzagoon barked, and ran forward in a series of zigzagging leaps.

"Protect!" Thrin retorted.

The shimmering field appeared around Spewpa, blocking off all access to his physical self. Regardless, Zigzagoon kept on coming, solidly hitting the shield to absolutely no effect.

An opportunity presented itself, and Thrin took it. "Now use String Shot!"

With a hiss, white threads shot from Spewpa's hidden mouth and immediately clung to Zigzagoon, wrapping around its body and most particularly its legs. Yellow Shirt's eyes widened in horror, realizing that things had gone south for him in such a short amount of time.

"Tackle it!" Thrin ordered, grinning.

"Spewpa spew!" the Bug-type responded, and launched himself forward.

"Quick, give it a taste of your Baby-Doll Eyes!" shouted Yellow Shirt.

Volan tried to stifle a snort. _'Baby-Doll Eyes'?_ he wondered incredulously. _Is that really the name of an attack?_

Apparently so. Even as Spewpa flew across the ground on a direct collision course with Zigzagoon, the small Normal-type's eyes began to sparkle and its pupils grew wide and round. A strange aura appeared around Spewpa at that moment – his body turned bright blue, and colored streaks of a similar hue cascaded downwards around him. The effect faded as quickly as it had come, and when Spewpa crashed into Zigzagoon, the Tackle attack didn't look like it had done much damage at all.

 _Of course,_ Volan realized. _The move must lower the opponent's attack strength._

By the looks of things, Thrin had figured it out too. Visibly clenching her jaw, she flung her arm to the side and commanded, "Another Tackle, Spewpa! It's still helpless no matter how much it decreases your strength!"

Nodding in agreement, Spewpa darted forward with another Tackle. Zigzagoon tried to pathetically wriggle out of the way – which was as much as it could possibly move with sticky silk binding its legs – but Spewpa landed a critical hit on its flank, throwing it across the battlefield.

"No!" Yellow Shirt protested. "Zigzagoon, try to bite through the thread!"

Growling with frustration at the way its legs wouldn't move, the Normal-type thrashed about with its teeth clamped down on one of the strings of silk. It managed to snap the string in two, which loosened its bonds somewhat. Encouraged, Zigzagoon began to bite and tear at the silk with renewed vigor.

"Spewpa, another Tackle!" Thrin cried.

Instantly, Zigzagoon's efforts were halted by the sheer force of Spewpa crashing into its side with velocity that should've been impossible for a mostly immobile Bug-type. However, its teeth had already been around the last rope, and Spewpa's attack served to help his foe cut through the last of it.

Zigzagoon jumped free and, with an order from an ecstatic Yellow Shirt, plowed into Spewpa with a Tackle of its own. Whimpering slightly, he landed at Thrin's feet and hopped back into position with his pain making his movements stiff.

"Tackle it as hard as you can!" Yellow Shirt continued, punching the air to celebrate what he thought was a soon-to-come victory.

"Cover yourself in Stun Spore!" ordered Thrin.

As Zigzagoon recklessly rushed him yet again, Spewpa squeaked nervously and fluffed out his fur, producing a large cloud of dust that immediately grew to saturate his surroundings. Zigzagoon, unable to stop in time, charged straight into the cloud and stopped as the poisonous substance started to lock its muscles in place.

"Now use Tackle!" Thrin yelled. "And if that's not enough, give it one more Tackle!"

Dust bloomed outward from the main cloud, which had still yet to settle. The two Pokemon came flying out, Zigzagoon hitting the ground in an uncontrolled tumble and Spewpa landing much more safely on his proverbial feet. When he saw that the racoon Pokemon was still struggling to fight off the effects of Stun Spore, he hopped backwards to give himself room and then launched himself forwards one last time. His hard head collided with Zigzagoon's comparatively frail body and sent it into a tumble from which it did not get up.

An enthusiastic fist-pump was what Thrin did in celebration of her win. "Yes, Spewpa!" she cheered. "You did a great job out there!"

The Scatterdust Pokemon perked up and fluffed out his fur again, as if preening at the compliment.

Not surprised to find himself smiling along at their victory, Volan reflected on just how good a Trainer Thrin really was. She and Spewpa hadn't even been together for a day, and yet she was showing considerable knowledge of how Spewpa could attack and defend, and skill in how to use those traits to the best of Spewpa's ability. She'd mentioned doing a bit of research about it that morning to help familiarize herself with the Bug-type, but even so.

"Hey, don't forget about me!" Yellow Shirt called over to the Gurei girl in a very demanding tone of voice. "I've still got Pokemon left to battle, and I'm not leaving 'til I've beaten you! Bunnelby, it's your turn!"

The kid's second Poke Ball popped open, revealing the same drab grey rodent that Volan had seen yesterday under the ownership of one of those pre-Trainers. Bunnelby was small and furry, with huge cheeks and claw-like ears that were undoubtedly used for burrowing underground. Otherwise, with its vacant eyes and stubby forelimbs, it didn't look all that impressive.

 _Probably Normal-type,_ Volan mused to himself. _It doesn't seem particularly inclined toward any other elements…_

"Start by using Leer!" ordered Yellow Shirt.

"Bun bee!" Bunnelby replied, narrowing its eyes in a fearsome glare that it turned on Spewpa. The furry cocoon shivered noticeably, and his body turned blue again while blue streaks shot downwards around him.

"His defense has been lowered, Thrin!" Volan cautioned her.

"We know what we're doing!" she answered, then focused once more on the battle. "Spewpa, use Protect!"

At exactly the same time, Yellow Shirt shouted, "Use Tackle!"

Thrin had predicted her opponent's next move perfectly. Having anticipated that the enemy Trainer would want to exploit Spewpa's newly-lowered defenses, she had told Spewpa to set up a Protect to block the attack that she knew was surely coming. Based on how Bunnelby rammed headfirst into the impenetrable field Spewpa had set up, her premonition was spot-on.

"Darn, that's fast!" said Yellow Shirt, through gritted teeth.

Paying him no heed, Thrin told her Pokemon, "Use Tackle, Spewpa!"

Too close and too stunned to dodge, Bunnelby let out a cry of pain as Spewpa smashed into its chest and stomach. It was quick to recover, though, and landed on its feet – either the rabbit Pokemon was tougher than it looked, or Zigzagoon's earlier Baby-Doll Eyes was still in effect.

Stomping a foot in frustration, Yellow Shirt told himself, "Looks like we'll just have to be faster! Bunnelby, up your speed with Agility!"

"Bunnel!" squeaked the Normal-type, and began to hop from foot to foot, becoming slightly faster and more nimble with each step. When it was finished its exercise, its body flared with a red aura, accompanied by red streaks of light shooting up around it.

"Now Quick Attack!" the increasingly-annoying kid added.

What Bunnelby did wasn't actually a legit Quick Attack – there was no burst of white light streaking out from behind it or anything like that. It was just a really fast Tackle. But Volan supposed that it was a good way to practice the real thing.

"String Shot!" Thrin commanded. "Spread them over a wide area!"

"Spewww!" hissed Spewpa, sounding a bit slurred as the sticky white threads came out of his mouth with his voice.

"Dodge!" Yellow Shirt said.

Boosting Bunnelby's speed was proving to have been a good idea, as Bunnelby leapt back and forth to dodge the threads that Spewpa sent its way. As it got closer, though, it ended up getting its leg snagged on a tendril. This caused it to miss its next step, and sent it on a guaranteed collision course with the ground. Spewpa was still hit by its attack, although it didn't do as much damage thanks to Bunnelby's slip-up.

"Your turn, Spewpa!" Thrin yelled. "Get it with your own Tackle!"

Too busy nibbling on the string that tied its leg, Bunnelby was unable to avoid the retaliatory attack. It went flying back with a *THUD* of exoskeleton on flesh that must have sounded immensely satisfying to Thrin, or at least that was the impression Volan had.

"Get up, Bunnelby!" wailed Yellow Shirt, hands flying up to dig their fingers into his scalp.

"String Shot!" Thrin smirked.

That expression of hers was familiar to Volan. It meant she had an idea that she was particularly looking forward to putting into action. Silently, he wondered if he should be feeling sorry for Yellow Shirt.

Spewpa's battle cry was loud enough to resonate slightly across the grassland as he spat a single thick strand at Bunnelby. This one was too fast for the injured Normal-type to dodge, and it encased its body completely apart from the head. Then, Spewpa yanked his head back in order to pull the trapped Bunnelby off the ground, and he began to move his head in a circular motion, swinging Bunnelby around in repeated circles at speeds comparable to that of a roller coaster.

" _I don't envy that rabbit,_ " remarked Edgar, making Volan grin amusedly.

With a pound of her fist into her palm, Thrin called out to Spewpa, "Now smash it into the ground!"

"Pa!" Spewpa spat around the thread in his mouth, and reared back with one last powerful motion.

Then he whipped his head forward and sent Bunnelby, now looking slightly green with nausea at this point, into the dirt with an upward-blooming cloud of dust. When it cleared, Bunnelby had not yet collapsed from the combination of dizziness and sustained damage – much to Thrin's disappointment. The binding white string had also disintegrated upon impact, freeing Bunnelby's limbs and allowing it to move freely again.

"That thing must be higher-leveled than I thought," she muttered, frustrated. "I definitely need a new Pokedex…"

Heedless of the older girl's minor dilemma, Yellow Shirt jabbed a finger at Spewpa and commanded, "Come on, Bunnelby! Use your Agility-boosted Tackle!"

"Bunn!" it exclaimed, and burst forward with shocking acceleration.

It hit Spewpa before Thrin could even open her mouth to order him to use Protect. He held his ground, though, skidding along the ground and throwing up torn blades of grass on either side of him as he did so. After shaking himself to help recover from the attack, Spewpa then began to hop up and down restlessly, seemingly eager to continue the battle.

"You getting pumped up?" Thrin asked, laughing. "So am I! No Bunnelby is going to get the best of us!"

"Oh yeah? Just watch!" declared Yellow Shirt. "Another Tackle, Bunnelby!"

Whatever was behind Spewpa's sudden adrenalin rush, it instantly proved to be immensely helpful. Bunnelby rushed the cocoon for the umpteenth time, only to breeze right past him as he swerved out of the way. When it came around to try again, he jumped aside and let it run past again. The process repeated itself multiple times – Bunnelby would turn around and attempt another Tackle, but Spewpa would deftly dodge every time.

"You're on fire, Spewpa!" encouraged Thrin. Her Pokemon's newfound energy was contagious, apparently, as she began jumping up and down as well. "Show me that fighting spirit by hitting them with a Stun Spore!"

Abruptly, Spewpa stopped moving in order to breathe a fierce stream of yellow dust at Bunnelby. The stream shot out with the force of the Scatterdust Pokemon's breath before dispersing into a wider cloud and engulfing Bunnelby entirely. When Spewpa stopped, his opponent was left shaking and quivering with the effort it took not to succumb to paralysis entirely.

 _Nice going!_ Volan thought, silently cheering his sister on.

Thrin swung her arm out to the side, about to give Spewpa the order to finish off their immobilized foe – and then a blue light illuminated the battlefield, so bright and intense that it made the unspoken words die on her tongue.

The blinding illumination was coming from Spewpa's body, an intensely bright whitish-blue that blurred the Bug-type's outline and made it difficult to witness the changes he was currently going. Despite this, Volan and Thrin could still see his form expanding and growing larger, two massive wings fanning out on either side of him while antennae sprouted from his head and limbs from his thorax.

Volan could not believe his eyes, even as he squinted them against the light. There was no way this phenomenon could be mistaken for anything else – _Spewpa's evolving!_

Like flipping a switch, the light of evolution vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving a burst of colorful sparkles in its wake. Fluttering there at eye level, several feet above where Spewpa once stood, was an enormous insect with glittering eyes and dainty-looking arms and legs. His most stunning feature was of course his radiant wings, which shone purple in the sunlight with patches of orange and red near the edges.

"Viveeeee!" the butterfly-like Pokemon twittered, turning his head this way and that. He was seemingly reveling in his gorgeous new appearance.

Eyes shining with ecstasy at her partner's achievement, Thrin excitedly turned to Volan. "Look at this!" she implored him. "Spewpa evolved! Isn't that awesome?!"

"He's called Vivillon now," Volan recalled, thinking back to where he had seen the Pokemon's name before. "Apparently they have many possible wing patterns, based on where in the world they come from."

He tried to search his Pokedex for more information. Unfortunately, it was still as useless as ever when it came to Pokemon native to Kalos.

" **Vivillon,** " it droned. " ** _Papilio multicolor_** **. The Scale Pokemon. This Bug-and-Flying-type has only recently been discovered. No other information available, except that this individual is a full-grown male.** "

"Alright then, Vivillon!" Thrin called, referring to him by his new species name. "Show them how much stronger evolution has made you!"

"Vi-vi-veeeeee!" he sang, doing an elegant loop as he soared higher into the air. The sun shining straight through his purple wings and turning them nearly transparent, he flapped as hard as his newly-grown muscles would allow and whipped up a fierce wind that slammed into Bunnelby down below.

"That was Gust, I think!" Volan advised his sister.

" _Dem's some mighty strong wings, I tell ya,_ " Edgar commented further. " _Wish I could do dat, y'know?_ "

Grinning so hard it looked like her face might split in two, Thrin ordered, "Finish that Gust, then grab Bunnelby with String Shot!"

"Veeeeeeon!" Vivillon giggled. " _This sounds like it'll be fun!_ "

He ceased to flap, and allowed the winds to die down. Below, Bunnelby relaxed slightly now that there was no Gust to fight against, but it was by no means safe. More sticky silk, stronger than before, cascaded down and wrapped tightly around its body, this time leaving only its eyes and nose exposed.

"No!" cried Yellow Shirt.

"Send it flying!" Thrin finished. "Then slam it into the dirt with Tackle!"

With a trill of laughter, Vivillon snapped the rope of silk upwards, sending Bunnelby flying into the air. Discarding the rest of the string, Vivillon then moved his wings in a single powerful flap, ending up above Bunnelby's momentarily-suspended form. Another flap, and the Scale Pokemon drove straight down into it.

There was a huge cloud of dirt that exploded from the impact site moments later. Only Vivillon flew free, while Bunnelby lay there in a small crater, still bound in the butterfly's threads and fully unconscious.

"YES!" Thrin's cheer rang out across the battlefield. "Vivillon, we did it! All thanks to you, you little devil!"

"Viveeeeee," he blushed. " _It wasn't ALL me._ "

"Great job, Thrin!" Volan congratulated her, walking over to give her a light punch to the shoulder. "I think it's safe to say you've just made your Kalos League debut with serious style. Taking down two Pokemon with one you just caught? You haven't lost your touch, sister."

She grinned back at him. "Thanks!" she replied cheerfully. "And that compliment I just gave to Vivillon inspired me to think of a cool nickname! I'll call him Akuma!"

Happily accepting the name, Akuma fluttered over their heads to grab Volan's hat off of his head with a mischievous giggle.

"Kantonese for 'devil'?" Volan asked, watching the purple-winged insect make off with his prize. "I guess it's as fitting as any."

Once he had gotten his hat back, Thrin returned Akuma to his Poke Ball, promising to let him out later when they stopped for a meal. She then walked over to Yellow Shirt, who was sitting down in the grass and tearing silk off of his Bunnelby, who had woken up by now.

"Hey," Thrin said, squatting down to meet his eye. "That was a pretty fun battle, even if you kind of challenged us out of the blue."

"I guess you're a cool Trainer," agreed Yellow Shirt, although it sounded half-hearted. "I was really hoping to win, though. My Pokemon need to be tougher if we want to make it through Santalune Forest."

The way he said that gave Volan pause, and looking at Thrin revealed that she had a similar reaction. Santalune Forest was right at the end of this route, and was supposed to be fairly easy for a novice Trainer to traverse so long as they stuck to the main paths. Assuming it was like Pinwheel Forest in Unova, at least.

"Excuse me," Volan spoke his concerns, "but is Santalune Forest really that dangerous?"

Yellow Shirt laughed. "No, it's not _that_ bad! But recently, a troublemaking Pokemon is giving a lot of people grief over in Santalune City, where I'm from. I came over here to see if I could catch it, but it destroyed my team. Now I'm training Zigzagoon and Bunnelby so that I stand more of a chance when I head back home!"

"What Pokemon is it?" Thrin asked, curious despite herself.

"A Fletchinder, I think?" frowned Yellow Shirt. He didn't seem sure.

 _Flying-type,_ the words burst into Volan's head like they were some kind of alarm clock, instantly alerting him.

"Fletchinder," he repeated with interest. He pictured the small, fearsome bird in his mind and inquired, "Did it have red feathers and a pointy beak, and shoot fire?"

"Oh, there was fire!" Yellow Shirt laughed again, although it was more bitterly this time. "I didn't even get a clear look at it. It was too fast!"

He paused, face scrunching up with suspicion. "What, you interested in catching it?" he asked Volan. Then he answered his own question without missing a beat. "Of course you are. I'd get some better Pokemon if I were you, first. That Murkrow and that Vivillon won't be enough."

For such a small, annoying kid, Yellow Shirt's voice was surprisingly serious. Dead serious, in fact. If this Fletchinder really was that powerful, then Volan knew they needed to be careful when traversing Santalune Forest.

… But on the other hand, that information only increased Volan's desire to catch the Pokemon. An agile fire-breathing bird at least as strong as Edgar or Akuma would be a great asset to his team of Flying-types.

"Thanks for letting us know," Volan said to Yellow Shirt.

"Anytime," the younger Trainer shrugged. "Trainers gotta help each other out."

Thrin stuck out her hand, silently offering Yellow Shirt help in standing up. He took it after a second and let the Gurei girl pull him to his feet. He returned his Bunnelby to its Poke Ball and headed on his way, soon disappearing behind a hill in the direction of Aquacorde Town.

When he was gone and it was just the two siblings again, Thrin asked her brother, "That Pokemon he mentioned, you're not thinking of catching it, are you?"

"Guilty," Volan confessed. "I've never seen one myself, but Fletchinder sounds like a cool Pokemon. And a Fire-type would be a great help against any Ice-types we meet."

" _'_ _Cause a team full'a Flyin'-types would not like ta battle one of dose,_ " Edgar put in helpfully, earning a nod from his master.

Frowning, Thrin told him, "Not that I'm against the idea, but we should really be careful. I don't think that guy was kidding when he said it might be too tough for us."

" _Might_ ," Volan emphasized the word. "And if it is, we've made sure to bring plenty of potions and other supplies. We're prepared."

That in mind, the Gurei siblings made sure they had everything before continuing northwards. Their footsteps carried them forward, fueled by a new energy. For Thrin, it was Akuma's recent evolution, and for Volan, it was the possibility of a new Pokemon to catch.

No matter their motivation, Santalune Forest awaited them.

-.-.-.-.-.

 **I just realized something. 'Akuma' is, indeed, Japanese for 'devil'. Now what's Vivillon's National Pokedex number?**

 **…** **It's 666. Sometimes I** ** _scare_** **myself.**

 **I like how in the XY series, stat changes appear as a red or blue glow around the Pokemon in question. That, plus all the cool new attack animations, allow me to be a lot more descriptive in this fanfic!**

 **Review, dear readers!**

 ** _Papilio multicolor_** **= "multicolored butterfly"**

 **Next update** **: Trouble Deep in the Woods**

 **Chapter Question #2: What is your favorite Vivillon pattern?**

 **I'm fond of the "icy snow" variant, myself.**

 **-.-.-.-.-.**

 **Volan's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Edgar (Murkrow, male)  
** **Ability: Super Luck  
** **Moves: Peck, Astonish, Pursuit, Haze**

 **Thrin's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Akuma (Vivillon, male)  
** **Ability: Shield Dust  
** **Moves: Stun Spore, Tackle, Gust, Protect**


	8. Trouble Deep in the Woods

**_Chapter 7 – Trouble Deep in the Woods_**

 **Last time on "Flight of a Legend"…**

 **Volan and Thrin began their journey across Kalos by traveling through Route 2, where Thrin tried and failed to capture a Fletchling. That failure was thanks to a newbie Trainer that wanted the same Fletchling, and challenged Thrin to a battle using both Zigzagoon and Bunnelby. Not only did Thrin take out both Pokemon with just Spewpa, he evolved into Vivillon in the process! After the battle, the Gureis continued toward Santalune Forest, with Volan eager to catch a new Flying-type.**

-.-.-.-.-.

In the otherwise peaceful depths of the dark, foreboding Santalune Forest, a sudden din erupted. A black figure darted through the trees, followed by two larger figures on the ground. There was so little light that all details of their appearances were totally shrouded.

"Catch it! Catch that Pokemon!" shouted one person, arms pumping back and forth as he chased after that which fled through the canopy.

"Don't let it escape!" the other yelled, sounding slightly out of breath at the speed they were running. "It could be useful to the scientists!"

"Or at least worth a lot of money!" added the first. He gritted his teeth as he ran harder, pushing himself to his limit.

The Pokemon in front of them made use of the trees as naturally as any Aipom, jumping from limb to limb with incredible speed and reflexes. Because of how dim the forest was, all that could be seen of it was a shape slightly paler than the surrounding darkness – but then, one of its jumps carried it through a patch of sunlight. Quicker than a blink, its pale, ice-blue skin flashed in the sunlight, and then it was back to being disguised by the shadows.

"There it is!" the first person cried.

"I can see it, genius!" snapped his companion.

They redoubled their efforts to catch up to the swift little Pokemon that eluded them so. But then, to their shock, it suddenly stopped and turned around to face them, reaching behind its back for something…

*THWAP* *THWAP*

Immediately, the pursuers' hands flew up to grab at their faces, trying to pull off the sticky white gunk that now blinded them. Their efforts were in vain, however.

"Ugh! Get this stuff off!" one complained.

"It's blinded us!" the other yelled. "Hurry up! It's going to get away!"

Little did either of them know, though, it had already gotten away, and was long gone by now.

-.-.-.-.-.

Volan was pleasantly reminded of Unova when he first stepped foot into Santalune Forest. It wasn't nearly as dense as the woods around Vaniville Town, so there was plenty of sunlight peeking through the gaps in the trees above. Many of the routes he and Thrin had traveled across in Unova had been forested, so stepping into the welcoming shade of Santalune Forest was almost like coming back home.

He and Thrin had been walking for a long time – it felt like several hours – so they were more than ready for a quick break when they had made decent tracks through the woods. They stopped at a part of the forest where a disc of sunlight illuminated a circular patch of the forest floor, acting as a clearing of sorts that was relatively clear of trees. Once they had gotten themselves settled on a fallen log, they set out bowls of Pokemon food for Edgar and Akuma and watched the two eat their fill.

"What are you doing?" Thrin suddenly asked, nudging Volan in the side.

Startled, Volan almost dropped his binoculars. He had just taken them out of his backpack, and had raised them to his eyes in order to better scan the trees around him.

"Looking for that Fletchinder," he explained to her. Indeed, he'd been on the lookout for any telltale glimpse of red and yellow ever since they had arrived in the forest.

"Is this really the time for birdwatching?" she asked, skeptically. "I need you to help me think of what to do with Akuma now that he's evolved. What attacks to work on, that sort of thing."

The Vivillon looked up when he heard his name and let out a happy trill. Thrin saw that he was enjoying the food she had given him, and smiled back.

"Feel free to dig in my backpack if you want to check my books," Volan told her. He pulled his backpack over to the spot on the log that separated them. "They're the only source of information we've got about Kalos Pokemon until we can get our Pokedexes updated."

She ignored the backpack. "What about combos?" she persisted. "You made up some really good ones back in the Unova League, didn't you?"

"Yes, but my Pokemon had already mastered all their moves and were all high-leveled when I started teaching them those," Volan pointed out.

Putting her hands on her hips, Thrin replied, "So? Akuma has all of his moves down. I'm sure we could work out a good combo."

"My point is, maybe it'd be a better idea until he has more experience," reasoned Volan. "Not that I'm trying to discourage you, but combining two moves together isn't easy. Off the top of my head, I remember that Bernice and Mistral struggled, in particular."

Sighing, Thrin dropped the matter. "Fine. I'll stick with normal moves for now. But what moves can Akuma even learn?"

"Backpack," Volan repeated, pushing it closer to her.

Muttering something that was just out of Volan's earshot, Thrin stuck her arm in the bag and pulled out the first book her fingers came into contact with. She placed it on her lap and pulled her tank top farther up her chest until she felt it was at a comfortable height, and only then did she settle down to flip through the pages.

Now that she was quietly occupied, Volan brought his binoculars up to his eyes again and commenced scanning the trees overhead. He could hear Flying-types singing elsewhere in the forest, some of which were nearby, but none of them sounded much like the one he was after – or rather, what he _thought_ the one he was after sounded like.

A dark shape suddenly passed through the view of Volan's lenses, too close for him to see what it was. Excitedly, he stood up and whipped his head in the direction the thing had flew, searching eagerly for…

… His magnified gaze fell on Edgar calmly staring back at him from atop a thin tree branch.

"Very funny," he sarcastically told the Murkrow, lowering his binoculars.

Chuckling softly, Edgar lazily glided off the branch and landed on his Trainer's shoulder. " _Couldn't resist, Boss. I've had my fun dough, so keep lookin' to yer heart's content._ "

There was a loud *snap* as Thrin slammed her book closed, a hard look on her face. If Volan could infer, her choice of reading material hadn't been much help in what she was looking for.

"Volan, this forest is massive," she said matter-of-factly. "Don't you think it's unlikely that this single Pokemon is going to simply show up right here, right now, without any searching involved?"

" _Chick's got a point,_ " Edgar added.

He opened his mouth to argue that he needed to keep his eyes peeled in case it _was_ in the area, when he heard a new sound singing to them from up above.

"Fle-chiiiiiin-daaah~."

Simultaneously, the Gurei siblings turned their heads upwards. There, on a branch that stuck out enough to reach into the patch of sunlight in the middle of the tiny clearing, was a bright red bird of about Edgar's size.

"Fle-chiiiiiin-daaah~," the Fletchinder sang again, bobbing up and down on its perch.

It was unable to be helped. Volan shot Thrin the smuggest of smug grins, a silent _I told you so_ if there ever was one.

She shot him a pretty effective death glare back. _Don't you even dare._

Taking a step forward, Volan allowed himself to enter the circle of light so that Fletchinder's attention would be on him. He breathed in deeply, then spoke calmly and clearly to the wild Pokemon.

"Hello," he greeted it. "I've heard that there's a Fletchinder in this forest that has recently been giving grief to some of the humans in the next town over. Would that be you?"

"Fletch," it answered. " _Probably._ "

Still on Volan's shoulder, Edgar took the other bird's words for sarcasm and snorted with amusement. He translated, " _She says yep, dat's her._ "

So this was, indeed, the powerful Fletchinder Volan had been told about, and it was apparently female.

"I'm Volantes," he continued, eyes never leaving Fletchinder's. "My friends call me Volan, though. Right now, I'm a journey across Kalos to compete in the League with a team made up of Flying-types. When I heard about you, I thought a Pokemon like you would be great to have on the team. Would you be interested?"

Fletchinder blinked her beady black eyes in astonishment. She'd never met a human that had attempted to make conversation with her and then _asked_ to catch her. Mostly they threw those colored spheres at her and commanded their Pokemon to attack her on sight. Rather rude of them, she thought.

Although intrigued by Volan's forward approach, she declined with a shake of her head.

"Okay, it was worth a try," Volan conceded, respecting Fletchinder's decision. "But would you do me a favor and battle me? I'd like to convince you to change your mind, if I can."

Now Fletchinder blinked again, this time greatly curious. This Trainer sounded like he was a tough one if he was straight-up challenging her to a battle, and if he was exclusively training fliers, then that Murkrow of his might be a worthy opponent. If she accepted, then either she'd win and be satisfied with a good battle, or she'd be captured and join a Trainer that could make her stronger. A win-win.

"Chinda fletch Fletchindaaah!" Fletchinder cried, flaring her wings dramatically. " _Alright then, challenge accepted!_ "

Although he couldn't understand her speech (although that was something he hoped to rectify soon), Volan grinned ecstatically and held out his arm. "Let's get this match started, then! Edgar, no mercy!"

With a caw, Edgar flew up until he was level with Fletchinder, his wings keeping him at a steady hover.

"Go for it, you two!" Thrin encouraged, hopping to her feet with her fist in the air. "You can catch that Fletchinder no problem!"

"Vi-viveeeeeon!" Akuma cheered alongside her.

The battle began when Fletchinder rocketed off of her branch so fast that she left a few feathers behind, white light streaking out behind her. When she had gained enough altitude, she folded her wings and aimed her Quick Attack straight at Edgar.

"Haze!" commanded Volan.

With a caw, Edgar spread his wings and fanned out a black smog that rapidly grew to cover the entire battlefield. Visibility was severely restricted, although Volan could still pick out the brightly-glowing Fletchinder as she continued on her course. He saw the white light abruptly change direction and shoot off elsewhere, seemingly unable to find Edgar within the mist.

"Pursuit!" he yelled.

A spot of purple light appeared, revealing Edgar's location, right as Fletchinder unwittingly passed him by. Thanks to the nature of Pursuit, Edgar rapidly caught up to his speeding opponent and smashed into her, knocking her out of the air.

The Haze was already starting to fade away as Fletchinder regained control of herself and flapped ferociously to keep herself aloft. Her beak separated with a shrill cry as she sped upwards, a blue light encompassing her body as she did so.

"That was Agility," Volan said to himself, noting the way Fletchinder seemed much faster. "Edgar, use Astonish!"

The Murkrow turned around to meet Fletchinder's incoming attack, but she was far too fast by now and caught him off guard. In the blink of an eye, her beak flashed white and lengthened – and an instant later, her Peck had clipped Edgar's wing and sent him fluttering clumsily down to the ground. Meanwhile, Fletchinder kept flying, the impact with her black-feathered opponent not having even slowed her down.

Bending down to meet Edgar with concern, Volan asked, "Are you alright?"

Wobbling a little on his feet, he replied, " _Been better, but I ain't out yet, Boss._ "

"Chiiiiin-daaah!" Fletchinder shrieked, diving down while repeatedly spitting puffs of flaming gas.

Volan and Thrin both threw themselves out of Fletchinder's path as the Fire-and-Flying-type skimmed low over the grass. Her barrage of Embers lit the grass on fire, leaving the two teenagers to furiously stomp out the flames before they got out of control.

"Akuma, could you help me blow out the fires?" requested Thrin, having trouble stamping one out while others burned around her.

"Viiiii-veon!" the lepidopteran Pokemon trilled. He flew over to do as she asked.

"And you, Edgar," said Volan, "get back up there and hit Fletchinder with your Astonish!"

Like a black arrow, Edgar shot off the ground and into the air, where he chased the agile songbird back and forth across the clearing with purple soundwaves cawing out of his beak.

After several seconds of dodging his attacks, Fletchinder abruptly turned around in midair and struck out with Peck. The retaliation was so sudden that Edgar had to resort to instinct, snapping his wings shut and plummeting to a foot below her, in order to avoid getting harshly jabbed.

"Nice work!" Volan praised from below. "Use your own Peck!"

Both birds charged forwards, their beaks growing to sharp points that shone pure white. When they met each other, they began to slash and poke at each other like a pair of aerial swordsmen. Dipping and darting, swinging and slashing, they fenced back and forth in their attempts to harm the other while also avoiding being harmed themselves. It was a strangely mesmerizing dance, one that Volan watched with silent awe.

At last, when it became apparent that neither Flying-type had an advantage, Fletchinder changed tactics without any warning. She backed up with a powerful flap of her wings, then expelled a strong cloud of fiery embers that struck Edgar in the chest. With a loud caw, he spiraled downwards, only to recover an inch above the ground and skim over the tips of the grass blades he would've otherwise crashed into.

Fletchinder gave chase, an aggressive chirp pealing into the air as she accelerated with Quick Attack. Edgar didn't even need to look behind him to know that she was nipping at his tail feathers, and promptly began to fly in a more erratic pattern, seemingly changing direction at random in an effort to shake the Ember Pokemon off.

"Astonish, quick!" shouted Volan.

Right in the middle of a complicated maneuver involving an aileron roll and an impromptu nosedive, Edgar flipped himself upwards and let out a "CAAWW!" right into Fletchinder's startled face, the soundwaves smacking into her and sending her into an upward spiral.

"Use the ground to lift off and deliver a Peck!" Volan commanded.

" _Gotcha, Boss-man!_ " agreed Edgar. Already too close to the ground to simply pull up, the Darkness Pokemon flipped over again and landed feet-first in the grass, only to launch himself straight up again and hammer his beak into Fletchinder's breast.

However, things immediately went awry. Flaming embers exploded out of Fletchinder's feathers at the point of contact, burning Edgar badly. He soared away with a definite wobble, smoke trailing from his primaries.

"Was that Flame Body?" Thrin asked, shading her eyes with a hand.

"It must have been," Volan confirmed. "What bad luck… Edgar, we can still win! Use Pursuit!"

" _Not easy ta do when I's the one bein' pursued!_ " Edgar cried back, now trying once again to get Fletchinder off of his tail.

"Fleeeeetch…" the Fire-and-Flying-type started, absorbing white light into her wings and tail. She then burst forward with a finishing cry of "CHINDAAAAH!"

Briefly blinded by the streak of light that seemed to cut the forest in two, Volan's took his arm away from his face to see Edgar plummet to the ground with a *thud* and small cloud of dust.

"Oh no…" he could hear Thrin murmur.

" _Thank you, come again…_ " Edgar muttered woozily. Then his head hit the dirt.

Victoriously, Fletchinder circled above their heads as Volan ran to collect Edgar in his arms. Bursts of embers shot from her beak to accompany her celebratory calls.

"Are you okay, Edgar?" Volan asked worriedly, taking his Pokemon over to the nearby log so he could be treated.

A mumble was all he got from the Murkrow, confirming that he was completely out of it.

"Do you have healing Potions in your bag, Thrin?" he inquired of his sister.

"Way ahead of you," she told him. She withdrew her hand from her backpack and handed him a small blue spray bottle. "I've got Burn Heal as well. Just give me a sec…"

As she searched, Volan commenced spraying the Potion's medicinal fluid on every patch of Edgar's body that looked roughed-up. Thrin gave him another bottle, green this time, once he was finished treating Edgar's wounds, and he applied it to the burns that marred his lustrous black feathers. In no time, the charred parts vanished, and Edgar slowly came out of unconsciousness.

"… _What'd I miss?_ " he asked.

"You lost the battle with Fletchinder," Volan replied apologetically. "You performed really well, though."

He looked up. Fletchinder was perched on the same branch as before, her beak buried in her feathers as she cleaned herself up from the short but furious battle. When she was done, the robin Pokemon met his eyes and cocked her head.

"Thanks for giving us such a great fight," Volan called up to her, and lifted his hand in a wave. "I'll keep my word and not try to catch you. I try my best to respect the opinions of Pokemon just as much as those of people."

She tilted her head again, the other way. "Fletch, chin chindah?" she asked. " _Really? How's that?_ "

Somewhat awkwardly, Edgar got to his feet and shook himself out, making sure all his feathers were still in place. He then glanced up at the slightly larger bird and told her, " _Boss is a pretty swell guy like dat. 'Course, it helps that he can talk ta us. Pokemon, dat is._ "

Fletchinder blinked. "Fletch. _Get out._ "

"It's true," Volan said, correctly interpreting her skepticism. "But only Pokemon I've formed a bond with. Any Pokemon I train as part of my team, for example, and any Pokemon Thrin trains as part of hers."

At this, Akuma blinked in bewilderment. He hadn't known this any more than Fletchinder had.

"But that's trivial information," Volan admitted. "You probably don't care about stuff like that. Anyway, thanks again for giving Edgar and I a chance. I hope we didn't hurt you too badly."

"Fletch fletch," the Ember Pokemon replied, flipping a wing nonchalantly. " _It's cool. See you around, then._ "

With that, she took flight and disappeared into the darkness of the lush forest, a cheery "Fle-chiiiin-daaaah~" announcing her departure.

" _You shouldn't worry 'bout her, Boss,_ " chuckled Edgar. " _I didn't do nuttin' dat a good Sitrus berry can't fix._ "

"I guess," Volan shrugged. "Disappointing that we couldn't catch her, though."

"Hey, you gave it your best shot," Thrin assured him. "Now, shouldn't we get a move on? Santalune City isn't going to travel to itself, you know."

"How does that even work?" he asked with a wry grin.

"It's an expression, numbskull," she responded, playfully swatting him in the shoulder.

Now that they were rested up, and having gotten the excitement of being on the road back in their systems after the intense battle between Edgar and Fletchinder, the Gurei siblings were ready to continue deeper into Santalune Forest. As long as they remained in the lighter, less dense part of the woods, they could travel in a relatively straight line without hassle to the other side in less than a day. Unfortunately, as the afternoon was already midway over, it was likely that they'd have to spend the night sleeping in the underbrush.

 _Oh, the nostalgia,_ Volan reminisced, thinking back to all their campouts in the Unovan wilderness two years ago.

Even in the well-traveled parts of the forest, Pokemon were available in abundant numbers. Most of them were probably considered common here in Kalos, but to Volan they were exotic species that he'd never seen in Unova before. The only ones he really recognized were a small group of Pansear, Pansage, and Panpour that paused in their berry-foraging to watch the humans pass below them. He was glad that there were some Unovan Pokemon here – they added a bit of familiarity to an otherwise unusual region.

Sometime after they had left the elemental monkey Pokemon behind, Volan was idly admiring a trio of Fletchling that skimmed right under the crowns of the trees overhead – when all of a sudden, a hand shot out and grabbed his arm.

Startled out of his wits, Volan barely bit his lip in time to keep a curse from escaping. He skewered Thrin with a heated glare, for of course it was her who had grabbed him.

"Shh!" she scolded, and gestured for quiet. "Do you hear that?"

He did _now_ , once he had time to concentrate. It was the all-too-familiar rustling of leaves, which happened to coincide with the suspicious movements of a bush farther ahead. Something was about to come out.

"What do you think it is?" Thrin whispered from the side of her mouth.

"Don't know, but chances are, it isn't much of a threat," Volan replied. "Still, though, keep a Poke Ball handy…"

Leaves abruptly flew into the air like an exploding firecracker, and with a rush of movement and a huge gasp, a bright orange head followed by a recognizable figure lurched into view.

"Trevor?" Volan spoke the boy's name.

Flinching at the sudden sound, Trevor relaxed and let his mouth curve in a shaky smile when he saw the Gureis. "O-Oh, h-hey guys," he greeted them, as nervous as ever. "Are you on a journey, t-too?"

Thrin nodded ecstatically. "Yep! Volan and I are on a quest to compete in the Kalos League!"

Smiling again, Trevor complimented them, "Th-That's nice to hear. If anyone can do it, it's you two. Y-You're… the strongest Trainers I've ever known."

"That's very sweet of you," the only female present answered, turning light pink. "But truth is, we're sure as heck not perfect. Volan just failed to catch a Fletchinder."

"O-Oh," Trevor winced. "Sorry to hear that…"

Shaking his head, Volan changed the subject. "More importantly, though, what are you doing out here in the middle of the woods?"

The smile on Trevor's shy features became slightly pained. "Um… j-journeying, too?"

"Wouldn't it be safer to stick to the path?" asked Thrin, placing a hand on her hip.

Now, Trevor's face fell. "Okay…" he sighed heavily. "H-Honestly, I only just found the main path now. I was traveling with the others – Tierno and Shauna, Calem had already gone far ahead – and then Charmander ran off. It took me a while to find him, but that's when I realized we got lost…"

He sighed again, sinking down into a crouching position with his arms crossed over his knees. "Shauna and Tierno have probably moved on by now, because I've probably taken too long to catch up to them."

Exchanging a knowing glance, Volan and Thrin nodded.

"No worries," Volan said kindly. "We'll travel with you up until we meet up with the others again."

Trevor stood up, eyes shining with hope. "R-Really? Y-You'd do that?"

"We're your friends, aren't we?" Thrin grinned. "And friends help each other out. That's a fact."

It was Trevor's turn to blush now, and he shrank back with embarrassment. "Th-Thanks, guys. I'll try not to be too much of a bother."

A new traveling partner in tow, even if it was only for a short while, Volan and Thrin continued their trek through Santalune Forest. Volan walked slightly ahead while Thrin and Trevor talked quietly amongst themselves, feeling more than a little reminded of the early days of their journey in Unova when they had met Stephan. He remembered clearly, he had not been very enthusiastic at the idea of a third party tagging along in their adventure. Back in those days, he wasn't inclined to trust others, especially strangers – and he could thank that idiot Toby for that, he thought bitterly. But Stephan had proved to be an exceptionally trustworthy companion, and Volan even considered him more than that, a great friend.

Maybe Trevor would fill Stephan's old role. For the time being, at the very least.

He came out of his thoughts when he noticed that Edgar was looking around at their surroundings more than he thought necessary. He asked the Dark-and-Flying-type, "Hey, is everything alright with you?"

" _I dunno,_ " was Edgar's honest reply. His tone sounded thoughtful and suspicious at the same time. " _The forest just seems kinda – how should I put it? It's, ah… kinda off-kilter. Tense-like, y'know what I mean?_ "

Volan did not know what he meant, but he knew better than to argue. Pokemon had senses far beyond those of humans, so if Edgar thought something was 'off-kilter', then his opinion should be taken seriously.

Turning himself around to face Thrin and Trevor, he informed them, "Edgar thinks something's up."

"How so?" asked Thrin.

"Th-There aren't any dangerous Pokemon out and about, are there?" Trevor quavered, glancing around instinctively.

"There shouldn't be," Volan frowned, uncertain. "Although we should proceed with caution in case there is something lurking around here."

All of them nodding in agreement, they began to walk down their chosen path again, significantly more quietly and cautiously than before. As they did so, they cast a wary eye around at their surroundings and made sure to not look at one spot for too long, lest something jump out at them from their blind spot. It was an unlikely scenario, but one that seemed quite real to the edgy group. The forest appeared more ominous now, unless that was simply their imaginations playing tricks on them.

The more they walked, the more Volan realized that Edgar was probably right. He felt a prickle go down his neck, as if something hidden in the shadows had its attention trained on him. At this point, his every sense was on alert.

Perhaps that was what drove him to act so quickly when a flash of pale blue came from out of the corner of his vision.

"Astonish!" he yelled, whirling to face the attacker.

"CAAAAW!" Edgar screamed out a few purple soundwaves. They hit a series of small, water-filled bubbles, which shattered into tiny water droplets as soon as they passed through the center of the wobbly rings.

Initially taken aback by the surprising commotion, Thrin regained her composure and jumped into the action. "Akuma, use Gust on those bushes!"

"Veeeeeon!" the Bug-and-Flying-type cried, summoning a wind powerful enough to tear the bushes straight out of the ground.

The previously-hidden Pokemon went flying upwards, rendered helpless by the wind. It spun around a couple of times before it landed painfully at the feet of the Trainers it had ambushed. It was small, only about a foot tall at the most, and clearly a Water-type from the look of it. It didn't take long for Volan to identify it.

"Isn't that a Froakie?" he questioned aloud, crouching down to better examine the stunned Pokemon.

"It is!" confirmed Trevor. His fascination outweighed his nerves, and thus he did not stutter. "Calem has one, remember? But look, this one is different!"

Volan and Thrin glossed over the Froakie, which was now sitting up and rubbing its aching head with a groan. The orange-haired boy was right, of course – whereas Calem's Froakie had been a fresh, deep blue like the surface of the ocean, this one was much paler. If Volan had to describe it, he'd say that its skin was the color of ice, a washed-out blue that left barely any trace.

"Weird," Thrin remarked.

"I've read something about this," Volan said, frowning with uncertainty. "This Froakie is clearly not the same color as Calem's, which we should assume is the usual coloration for the species – but aren't alternately-colored Pokemon extremely rare? Ridiculously rare, even?"

"Let's see what my Pokedex has to say," decided Trevor, and slid the flat encyclopedia out of his pocket. Rather than activate it immediately, though, he flinched and gave the Gureis an apologetic look. "S-Sorry, I forgot that your Pokedexes are still outdated. I-I didn't mean to rub it in…"

"You didn't," Volan assured him.

Nodding at that, Trevor scanned the Froakie, allowing the device to unfold and list statistical information about the amphibian on its holographic screen. " **Froakie.** ** _Bullanura furtum_** **. A Water-type Bubble Frog Pokemon. It secretes a frothy, sticky substance from its chest and back to help conserve moisture when its body is exposed to air, and for flotation purposes when submerged in water. These so-called 'frubbles' are used for a variety of purposes, such as capturing prey or protecting itself from attacks, and can be sculpted to cover various parts of its anatomy. Froakie are ever-mindful of their surroundings even when they appear to be completely relaxed. Specimen is female (shiny) with power level of eleven. Known moves: Toxic Spikes, Bubble, Quick Attack, Lick. Ability: Protean.** "

The Pokedex was put away so that Trevor could join Volan and Thrin in admiring the miraculous Froakie. So this was what was called a "shiny" Pokemon, so named for the unexplained phenomena of additional decorative sparkles that occurred when such a Pokemon was released from its Poke Ball. They were the result of incredibly rare genetic mutations that altered the Pokemon's coloration permanently. These unusual color morphs were part of the reason these individuals were rare – Pokemon were colored the way they were for a reason, and being born a different color might expose it to predators, or indicate to others of its kind that it was sick or otherwise undesirable when it came to courtship.

Naturally, Volan had not seen very many examples of this rarity. The only one he could name was a green Beedrill he had encountered sometime during his travels in Unova. But right here, by way of some unbelievable luck, was a second.

"Aren't you a beautiful girl?" Thrin cooed, reaching out to stroke the Froakie's head with a finger.

"Frooooo…" she muttered, waving her hand in hopes of deterring the sixteen-and-a-half-year-old.

"I wonder what a Froakie is doing out in Santalune Forest," Trevor said interestedly. "Like all Pokemon given out by professors to new Trainers, they're supposed to come only from small, closely-monitored populations on special breeding grounds."

His words surprised Volan substantially. "So what you mean to say is that they're extinct in the wild?"

A nod from Trevor. "I've done some reading about it. Trainers receive them so that they can safely grow into strong adults and further the population."

"Where's her Trainer?" asked Thrin. "He or she is probably worried sick about this little one."

Was that a quiet scoff from the Froakie? Or was Volan imagining things again?

Raising a hand, Trevor began to count off a list of traits on his fingers. "Endangered species," he started, and lowered a finger. "Possibly no Trainer. Shiny. Female, which is uncommon. And the Protean ability. No-one can be _this_ lucky, guys."

Froakie stood up and narrowed her yellow eyes at Trevor. With an aggressive croak, her color instantaneously shifted from icy blue to dark purple, and her long tongue sprang out of her mouth to lash Trevor across the face. While the boy fell back on his rear end with a shout of pain, Froakie made a break for it.

An assembly line of terrible scenarios flashed before Volan's eyes, and he scrambled to his feet to stop Froakie's progress. "No, it's not safe!" he called after it.

Knowing exactly what her brother was thinking, Thrin flung her arm out and ordered, "Akuma, use Tackle!"

The Vivillon shot forward, catching up to Froakie in only a moment. But then something unexpected happened – he phased straight through the seemingly-tangible Bubble Frog Pokemon.

"That must have been a Lick attack she used," Volan observed. "And Protean is an ability that changes a Pokemon's type to correspond to its last move. So Froakie's a Ghost-type now!"

In the time it took him to explain that, the purple Froakie had managed to put significant distance between them, to the point where it was beginning to disappear into the dark forest ahead.

"Charmander!" called Trevor, activating a Poke Ball. "Come out and use Ember!"

The fiery lizard appeared with a small cry and belched small bursts of flame from his jaws, which landed only inches in front of Froakie and created a wall of fire that momentarily impeded her progress.

Froakie would've been able to jump over the barrier in seconds, but it only took that long for Volan to catch up and snag her out of the air with both hands. He carefully brought her to his chest, constantly shifting his grip to accommodate the slippery, wiggling frog. With enough effort, he managed to turn her around and bring her to his eye level.

"Listen," he told her seriously. "We won't try to keep you as our own. You probably already have a Trainer anyway, but that's beside the point. There are people out there that are far less honorable than us, and those people wouldn't hesitate to steal you away for their own purposes. We can protect you until we find your Trainer, okay?"

"Kee kee Froakie," she answered, resignedly.

"I'll take that as a yes," Volan confirmed. He passed her to Thrin, who gently placed Froakie onto her shoulder. Volan's own shoulder was occupied by Edgar, so he couldn't have done it.

Suddenly, Charmander let out a growl. Akuma fluttered his wings agitatedly, and Edgar ruffled his feathers. The Pokemon were detecting trouble nearby.

That was when the very same people that Volan was concerned about, those immoral sort of folk that would abduct a Pokemon from right out of its Trainer's arms without a second thought, rushed out of the bushes to surround the travelers. There were four in total, two men and two women, wearing mirrored red sunglasses and suits of an identical scarlet hue. All clutched Poke Balls in their fists, and all were ready for a fight.

"Hands off of that Froakie!" one of the suited women declared nastily. "We have already claimed ownership of such a rare Pokemon, all in the name of the illustrious Team Flare!"

-.-.-.-.-.

 **As of this moment, FoaL has 8 chapters, 18 favorites, 28 follows, and 38 reviews. Don't h8 that 8 is gr8, m8.**

 **I've never been so in love with a game as I am with Pokemon Moon. I especially love the main characters. Hau is a sweet cinnamon roll and Gladion is edgy but I love him and Lillie is just too cute omg. Now I REALLY want to write a Sun/Moon story, but I only just started this one… I don't know if it's a good idea to write both at once but the temptation is SO REAL.**

 **Anyway… Volan fails to catch Fletchinder? Aw, tough luck there. But there's no time to mourn the loss, because holy crap a shiny Froakie with Protean someone grab it goddamnit!**

 **Feel free to send your reviews, readers!**

 ** _Bullanura furtum_** **= "thieving bubble frog"**

 **Next chapter:** **A Flare for Battle**

 **Chapter Question #3: Totally random question here – who's your favorite Ghost-using NPC in the series?**

 **I have a soft spot for Shauntal, and Acerola from the new games is just awwwww.**

 **-.-.-.-.-.**

 **Volan's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Edgar (Murkrow, male)  
** **Ability: Super Luck  
** **Moves: Peck, Astonish, Pursuit, Haze**

 **Thrin's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Akuma (Vivillon, male)  
** **Ability: Shield Dust  
** **Moves: String Shot, Tackle, Gust, Protect**


	9. A Flare for Battle!

**_Chapter 8 – A Flare for Battle_**

 **Last time on "Flight of a Legend"…**

 **Volan and Thrin started their expedition through Santalune Forest on the lookout for a powerful Fletchinder. They found it soon enough, and Volan attempted to capture it with Edgar, but ultimately lost the battle. They ran into Trevor afterwards, who joined their group for the time being, and then a shiny Froakie that they offered to protect until they could find her Trainer. Unfortunately, they weren't able to make any progress before they were attacked by a suspicious group that wanted Froakie for themselves!**

-.-.-.-.-.

 _Team Flare?!_ the incredulous thought pounded through both Volan's and Thrin's heads with all the drama of a thunderclap.

The quartet of suited men and women didn't so much as smile at the clear shock that had manifested on the faces of the Gurei siblings and their friend Trevor. They advanced forward into the sunlight that filtered through the canopy of leaves overhead, allowing their blinding red tuxedos and dress pants to shine in all their glory. Now Volan could see that they also had bright crimson hair to match their glasses and choice of outerwear. Even the Poke Balls they had were red (although that was pretty much a given).

Obviously, their identical outfits combined with the name they were united under – Team Flare – indicated that they were part of something major. Not a club, not a simple street gang, but an organization much bigger than that. The presence of a criminal organization here in Kalos was mind-blowing on its own, but to encounter such a group on their first day of travel… Volan had never felt so stunned, and that was saying _a lot_.

Team Flare… already, Volan's head was spinning with questions. What were their motives? When did they first appear? Were they after a Legendary Pokemon to help them reshape the world, as Team Plasma before them? And why were their suits so hideous?

"Who are you?" demanded Thrin, taking up a defensive posture and balling her fists.

"Keeee!" Froakie cried from the girl's shoulder.

"Who are we?" one of the men repeated in a haughty tone. "Have you been living under a rock, child? We are only the very ones that will take over the world and change it to our liking! Anyone not part of us will suffer! We are – Team Flare!"

As one, the four adults struck ramrod-straight postures with their right hands held in a forehead-level salute while their left hands were held at their midriffs. Together, they chanted, "F-L-A-R-E! F to the L to the A to the R to the E! We put the fashion into fear! Gooooo Team Flare!"

In the stunned silence that followed, bug Pokemon could be heard chirping from elsewhere in the forest.

"What the _Muk_ is all that about?" Volan finally demanded. "Are you criminals or cheerleaders?"

"And dear _Arceus_ , those clothes!" Thrin exclaimed, voice dripping with disgust. "Are you guys color-blind? Who even dresses like that?!"

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Team Plasma was scarier than you," Volan added.

One of the women bristled at his words. "How dare you compare us to the un-Arceus-ly fashion disaster that was Team Plasma!" she shrilled. "They had absolutely _no_ class, and their stupid, nonsensical plans weren't even carried out with proper finesse or subtlety! And _nobody_ insults our superior style and gets away with it!"

"What do you know about subtlety?" laughed Volan. "Not much if you're dressed like a group of overgrown Delibird."

"I'd seriously recommend a change in attire," Thrin told them, well, seriously. "How can you even go out in those clothes without feeling embarrassed?"

They both felt a series of frantic taps on their shoulders, courtesy of a quivering Trevor. "Wh-What are y-you d-doing?" he squeaked in terror. "I-I don't th-think you should m-make them mad!"

Smiling, Volan patted him on the arm. "Trevor, it'll be fine," he said reassuringly. "We fought Team Plasma dozens of times, and the grunts were never that much of a threat. All we ask is that you help us, because only then will we have four Pokemon to defeat these clowns."

That triggered a reaction.

"You're asking for it now, kid!" a male grunt shouted. "We'll be taking that Froakie now, along with any other Pokemon you've got with you! Go, Croagunk!"

"Houndour!" a woman called, hurling a Poke Ball.

"Zubat!" the other two yelled in unison.

Within the space of a second, the three friends were surrounded. The Houndour, a black canine Pokemon Volan couldn't recall seeing before, faced him alongside one of the Zubat. Behind him, Thrin and Trevor squared off against the Croagunk and the other Zubat, with their Pokemon growling threateningly at the bad guys.

"Frooo," muttered the shiny Froakie, clambering down Thrin's back until only her eyes were visible over the Gurei girl's shoulder.

"Froakie!" Volan spoke to her, successfully getting her attention. "Will you help me? I only have Edgar at the moment, and two against one is not my idea of fair odds."

The exceedingly rare and valuable Water-type considered his request. She'd really rather escape now while the Team Flare grunts were distracted, but that wasn't right. Her conscience would never be clear if she left them in the lurch.

"Froa! Kee Froakie kee froa!" she cried with absolute determination, springing off of Thrin's back and down to the ground in front of Volan. " _Let's go! You want me, so come and get some!_ "

Volan grinned at Froakie's clear dedication to running off these potential Pokemon thieves. She looked a bit like a thief herself, he noticed, with her white hands making it seem as though she were wearing gloves, and the 'frubbles' piling up on her back and around her throat like a burlap sack. The observation was an amusing one, but sadly one he needed to come back to at a later time. Right now, there were more pressing matters to attend to.

He narrowed his eyes in an analytic glare at the two Pokemon opposing him – Zubat and Houndour. From his travels in Unova and countless battles against Team Plasma, he knew plenty about the former, but not so much the latter. Fortunately, as he thought with some relief, he knew that it was a Johto-native Pokemon, so his Pokedex should be able to provide useful information about it.

" **Houndour,** " the machine whirred. " ** _Dracanis nigrapyrus_** **. The Dark Pokemon. Much like its tamer relative, Growlithe, this Pokemon is of canine origin and breathes potent flames for self-defence. It is a nocturnal pack hunter and works together with a medium-sized pack to prey on larger Pokemon. They coordinate their attacks by communicating with barks and growls that go unknown by their target. The pack always protect their territory by howling together at dawn. This individual is male with the Flash Fire ability. Known moves are Leer, Ember, Smog, and Howl. Power level is nine.** "

Assuming that the Zubat was at a similar level, Volan put away the Pokedex with a grin. This wouldn't be easy, but as he had suspected, these Team Flare grunts were about as threatening as those from Team Plasma.

He purposely stayed quiet, letting the Flare woman yell, "Houndour, begin with Smog!"

"And Zubat, you use Supersonic!" her male partner added.

Their Pokemon sprang into action at the same time. Houndour opened his jaws and expelled a thick, oily cloud of disgusting gas, while the Zubat swooped close and let out a harsh whine that took the form of perfectly circular soundwaves.

A plan sprang to Volan's mind, and he acted on it without thinking twice. "Froakie, use Bubble!" he told her, then turned to Edgar. "Aim at the bubbles with Astonish!"

Nodding to each other, his two Pokemon executed his orders just as quickly. Froakie, her unusually pale skin standing out against the dark background of the forest, opened her mouth to spit a stream of small blue bubbles. Just as the stream was about to make contact with the enemy's approaching moves, Edgar acted next. Purple soundwaves, their physical form contrasting greatly with that of Zubat's, reverberated from his beak and slammed into the bubbles, causing them to burst into a spray of water droplets. The water dispelled the Smog and interfered with the Supersonic waves, rendering both useless.

Smirking slightly, Volan saw that his improvised plan had worked to perfection, exactly as he was hoping it would. He never meant to brag, of course, but he thought he had quite a flair for coming up with unusual tactics on the fly.

 _Flair,_ he considered his own choice of words. _Could that be considered a pun?_

Meanwhile, the two Team Flare grunts were ordering more attacks now that their first attempted onslaught had failed. Houndour spewed a small blast of flaming embers, while Zubat lunged forward with a snap of its wings, fangs gleaming wetly in the dappled sunlight.

"Froakie, Quick Attack on Zubat!" Volan shouted. "Steer clear of its teeth!"

Smoothly, Froakie's icy coloration slid into a drab grey. Now considered a Normal-type thanks to her Protean ability, she darted forward with a flash of white light and plowed into Zubat's stomach, knocking it out of the air. However, when Froakie landed, she placed herself directly in the path of Houndour's Ember.

"Now Bubble!" added Volan.

Once again, Froakie's color shifted, this time back to its original ice-blue. She spat more bubbles, the first two or three of which collided with the Ember and caused it to dissipate into a billowing cloud of steam. Subsequent bubbles flew straight through the cloud to pepper the ground around Houndour and its Trainer.

"Tch! They're tough!" exclaimed the male lackey.

"That's why we were after Froakie in the first place!" replied the female. "Protean is an extremely useful ability. We must have it for the benefit of Team Flare!"

"I think I'd rather invest time first in finding a better uniform…" Volan muttered.

"How dare you?!" she bellowed, her face turning as red as her hair (and everything else). "Houndour, smite them with Ember!"

Her partner chimed in with, "And Zubat, use Supersonic!"

"Dodge, both of you!" advised Volan.

The thinning steam had yet to entirely vanish, however, and Froakie's eyes widened as a blast of embers came straight through the visual obstruction to smack into her chest. There was a loud explosion and a cloud of smoke almost as big as that of the steam, which was enough to startle Edgar into making a wrong turn. His maneuver, intended to be evasive, ended up with him flying straight into the path of the Supersonic. A piercing, shrill tone stabbed into his head, and he cawed in distress as his flight path spun dizzily out of control and ended with him beak-planting into the dirt.

 _Oh dear,_ Volan thought, with a mental sigh.

"Ember!" the female grunt repeated.

"Leech Life!" her partner shouted.

Another glowing, gaseous projectile was on its way, and Zubat began to close in. It happened so quickly that Volan momentarily froze, not sure of what to do. Then, when a flash of inspiration hit him, he seized it without a second thought.

"Froakie!" he called. "Use Lick on Zubat!"

Moaning, the shiny Water-type got up from where she had fallen after being hit by the Ember. "Froooaaaa…" she mumbled. " _Sneak attacks should be illegal…_ "

Volan shot a worried glance at the incoming Zubat. Its mouth was open wide, and it'd slam into Froakie at any second.

"I know you can still fight back!" he encouraged.

"Kee Froakie froa," she waved him off, still trying to get her bearings. " _In a minute, when the world stops spinning._ "

"Chkat, chkat!" Zubat clicked in anticipation, its fangs starting to glow as it prepared the attack.

It was mere inches from Froakie when her skin suddenly turned purple, and her eyes seemed to flash. Duped by her ploy, Zubat could do nothing to avoid her tongue as it lashed out and smacked it across the battlefield, right into Houndour's Ember. The explosion of smoke that swallowed up the bat was loud enough to startle Edgar out of his confusion.

" _Whazzat? What'd I miss?_ " he asked frantically, as if waking up from a bad dream.

"We're winning!" Volan grinned. "Thanks to Froakie!"

"Keeee," the frog Pokemon blushed. " _It was nothing._ "

" _Well den, guess I owe ya a word of tanks,_ " Edgar admitted, and tipped his 'hat' respectfully to Froakie.

"Enough!" one of the Team Flare grunts yelled furiously. "You're making a big mistake in messing with Team Flare! Houndour, jump and use Smog!"

Narrowing his eyes, Volan carefully watched as the Dark-and-Fire-type leapt into the air with a bound of its powerful legs, then spat out a stream of noxious fumes at the two Pokemon below it. At the same time, the male Flare grunt ordered his Zubat to attack Froakie again. That was when he made his move.

"Both of you dodge!" he cried. "Froakie, go to the left and hit Zubat with a Quick Attack!"

Nodding fiercely, Froakie darted to the left, while Edgar flew into the air and to the right. The Smog didn't hit anything except the ground, not even when it spread outward upon impact. Still, the disgusting gas came a little too close for Volan's comfort, and he backed away on instinct.

Froakie pivoted as soon as she landed from her jump, skin shifting to grey instantaneously. In the next second, she had already pounced into the air with a burst of light, smashing bodily into Zubat and throwing it off to the side. Just as Volan had expected, the Bat Pokemon smacked right into Houndour, who was still airborne from its own jump.

It was time to end it. "Edgar, fly below them and use Pursuit!"

Later, Volan would recall this moment and marvel at how perfectly it had been executed, despite the infinitesimally short time frame in which it could've worked. In the brief moment in which Houndour and Zubat were in direct contact, Edgar carved a tight turn around the cloud of Smog and ended up directly beneath them. A half-second later, he was flying straight up into the pair of Pokemon and carrying them up into the ceiling of leaves high above. The glow of the dark aura around him disappeared instantly as his sheer momentum lifted both himself and his two opponents into the canopy.

There was a *CRAAAASH*, and dozens of leaves were shaken loose to flutter down around the bewildered combatants. Edgar flew down into view, showing off with a loop-the-loop before landing talons-first on Volan's shoulder. Right after that, Houndour and Zubat landed much less elegantly, slamming into the ground with a stirring of dust. Their heads were decorated with angry red lumps.

"What happened to them?" Volan asked. As little as he cared about Team Flare's welfare, he did feel a bit of worry for their Pokemon.

" _Eh, nuttin' too serious,_ " Edgar dismissed with a wave of his wing. " _De worst dey'll get is a concussion. Youse might say dat dis is an educational moment for dese fellows._ "

"Tell me about it," the Gurei boy murmured. "You certainly don't mess around."

On the ground beside him, Froakie's skin shifted back to its less-than-normal pale blue as she tilted her head and regarded him with curiosity. It was impossible to tell what was going on behind those bright, lamp-like eyes of hers – chances are, though, it was something along the lines of, _This human can speak with his Pokemon?_

"N-No!" growled the female Team Flare grunt, reluctantly returning her Pokemon at the same time as her partner. "And we were so close to catching it!"

The loud sound of a gust of wind howling through the forest caused Volan to turn around and observe the source. He was in time to see a Zubat crash to the ground to join an unconscious Croagunk, as Thrin's Akuma lightly touched down on her head now that the battle was over. Trevor stood at the girl's side, a glare spilling forth from his eyes as he stood victorious beside his Charmander.

That was curious, Volan noted. His nerves seemed to have vanished.

"Y-You will regret this!" shouted a grunt, cringing from the crushing loss all four of them had just been dealt. "From this day forward, you are enemies of the fashionable Team Flare!"

"That sounds like bad news for you," Volan commented. His voice seemed almost casual, but there was no mistaking the icy chill that gave it a menacing undertone.

For Trevor or the grunts, the cold tone in which Volan spoke held no further significance. But to Thrin, it meant something more. _Oh dear_ , she thought. _It's the old Volan._

After the incident with Toby six years ago, Volan had refused to trust anyone other than her, their mother, or Caitlin – whom they had never seen again until they began their travels across Unova, and thus barely qualified. He was always rude and standoffish to everyone else, speaking in exactly that frosty voice that seemed to hide an inner rage. But as Volan and Thrin continued their journey with new friends at their side, the older of the two siblings gradually began to thaw, until he got to the point where he only reserved his chilly fury for those he _truly_ despised.

If he was treating Team Flare this seriously, then he must have realized something about the threat they represented that Thrin hadn't yet considered. Were they really worse than she thought? It wasn't as if Volan had Reshiram's guidance anymore, as the white dragon was currently slumbering in a faraway place…

"We will remember your smug little Trainer faces!" threatened one of the women. "Before all is said and done, you will be the first to fall before the unstoppable might of Team Flare!"

"Oh yeah, well –" Thrin attempted to say, but something interrupted her.

That something was Froakie, who suddenly jumped straight up into the air and spat a flurry of Bubbles at a gap between two nearby trees.

At exactly the same time, a purplish projectile shot from the darkness deeper in the forest and exploded against the Water-type attack, shocking everyone present.

The sound of heavy footsteps hitting the ground and crushing fallen leaves reached their ears, signifying that something very big and likely very dangerous was approaching. The Team Flare grunts all flinched, grimacing fearfully in anticipation, while the Trainers gathered into a tight formation with their Pokemon stationed protectively in front of them.

 _Was that a Sludge Bomb?_ Volan asked himself, thinking back to the brief glimpse he had gotten of the projectile. _If Froakie hadn't seen it coming…_

And the one behind that sudden attack wasn't far behind. It could vaguely be seen walking from out of the foliage some distance away from the path, steeped in shadow, but its features grew more apparent the closer it got to the light. It was not something that Volan or the rest were relieved to see – quite the opposite, actually, as they realized that it was covered in dark purple armor and had ferocious claws and fangs for use as weapons. Its fierce blue eyes were like needles boring into their skulls the way it regarded them.

 _That's a Drapion,_ Volan realized, paling considerably when he recognized the exoskeletal beast. Weren't they the Sinnoh equivalent of Scolipede? He really did not want any confirmation of this fact, not when there was one currently looming over him.

It wasn't alone, either. From behind it stepped an unpleasant-looking woman dressed in all red. She had short purple hair and matching lip gloss, and despite the fact that her eyes were covered, the disdain in her expression couldn't be missed as she regarded the group in front of her. The outfit that clung tightly to her figure wasn't nearly as bad as the other red clothes around – although the futuristic goggles were certainly much weirder – but it was obvious from the get-go that she was affiliated with Team Flare. Unless red was just really trendy in Kalos right now, but Volan deemed it wise to go with the first option.

"How _long_ does it take you four idiots to capture one measly Pokemon?" she droned in a semi-annoyed tone.

All four Flare grunts snapped to attention, their arms held straight at their sides. "Miss Celosia!" one of them announced. "We got close to catching our target, but these children got in our way at the last minute. When we tried to neutralize them, they soundly defeated us."

The slightest turn of the woman's – _Celosia, they said her name was?_ thought Volan – head was the only indication that her gaze had wandered anywhere. Behind those odd goggles, she was doubtlessly regarding him and his friends right now, sizing them up. After what seemed like ages, she shrugged.

"Of _course_ they did," she said, drawing the words out condescendingly. "Because you're all totally useless. I gave you one job to keep you busy so I could do mine without interruptions, but I guess I was kidding myself."

The grunts all cringed and did their best not to show it. Judging from how Celosia's purple lips tightened noticeably, their efforts were in vain.

"You there, boy," she snapped. Volan didn't need to see her eyes to know she was looking straight at him – her glare was like a laser burning a hole into his skull. "Normally this is the part where I'd ask you to identify yourself, but I don't give a crap about who you are. We're conducting important work here in the forest, and you're trespassing, so beat it."

Refusing to be intimidated, Volan shot back, "Important how? Stealing Pokemon doesn't seem like a worthwhile way to spend time to me."

"Stealing? Please," Celosia snickered. "It's not stealing if it doesn't belong to anyone. That Froakie would be a tremendous asset to furthering our cause, so whenever you're done keeping it from us, we'll grab it and be on our way peacefully."

"Froooooo…" growled Froakie, slipping behind Trevor's leg, who happened to be closest.

"Drrrrr-rah!" the Drapion growled right back, and flexed its pincers.

The display was more than enough to turn Trevor whiter than an Abomasnow in a blizzard. "G-Guys, w-we should do as she says," he whispered to the Gureis. "W-We don't have any Pokemon that can match up to hers, and I-I think we've already p-put ourselves in enough danger b-by battling those lackeys…"

"Not that I don't think you have a point," Thrin answered, also in a whisper, "but we can't just abandon Froakie! Not when we've tried so hard to protect her so far."

"We're in quite a bind," added Volan. Frustration was building inside of him, and he shifted his feet impatiently. "These people are clearly up to no good, but even if we fight, it's likely that we'd lose…"

An exasperated sigh came from Edgar. " _Den we lets 'em have what dey've been endeavorin' to acquire. If we's gonna lose no matter what, better go witout havin' our tushes kicked, y'know?_ "

From behind Trevor, Froakie glared daggers at the Murkrow. "Froakie froa kee kee froa! _You're not selling me out to this bunch after I helped you fight!_ "

The argument surely would've risen above normal decibel levels if another Sludge Bomb came soaring high over the Trainers' heads and exploded against a tree, treating them to the deafening sound of it exploding as well as a shower of smoking wood chips.

"Any _day_ now," Celosia told them, scowling. "Or the next one is going straight into the middle of you."

 _We need a plan,_ Volan decided, looking around frantically for some kind of inspiration. _It's not fair to let Team Flare get a hold of Froakie, but we can't battle Celosia directly…_

Something came to him, bringing with it a confidence-boosting clarity.

"Froakie," he whispered from the side of his mouth. "I have an idea, but you'll need to go along with it. Alright?"

With a nervous aside glance at Celosia and Drapion, the shiny amphibian Pokemon locked eyes with him and nodded. Thrin and Trevor heard his words, which prompted Thrin to reach out and grab Trevor's forearm to help solidify his resolve. From the way his muscles tensed beneath her fingers, she could tell he was ready.

Volan crouched down to gather Froakie in his arms, which she allowed. He made as big of a show as he could, without risking anyone's suspicions, of walking forwards with the valuable Pokemon and placing her on the no-man's-land between him and Celosia. With a sharp nod, he backed off to his previous position and let Froakie move toward the woman with short, cautious hops.

"That's better," she smirked. Digging her fingers into Froakie's bubbly ruff, she lifted the Water-type off her feet while making a displeased face, presumably at the stickiness of Froakie's 'frubbles' as they were called. "Now let's see… we've got what we came for, so I _suppose_ we'll leave you kids unharmed. But stay out of our way from now on. I'd hate to have to make examples out of such _promising_ young Trainers."

Volan could've been sick at the sheer cruelty displayed by Celosia's small yet twisted smile. He could already tell that they were dealing with people even lower than Team Plasma here – this agent of Team Flare clearly had no qualms about using lethal force to get what she wanted, however much she seemed to prefer to do things the easy way first.

 _We're playing with fire here,_ he told himself, trembling slightly with apprehension as he prepared to put his plan into action. _Perhaps it's no coincidence that they call themselves 'Team Flare'._

He turned his head slightly and met Thrin's eyes. His sister gave him a single nod. When he looked to Trevor, the orange-haired boy looked nervous, but he still managed a shaky nod of his own.

"Edgar?" he asked.

" _No need ta ask, Boss,_ " the Darkness Pokemon replied.

Celosia was already walking away by now, Froakie still being held aloft. The Flare grunts didn't even spare the Trainers the tiniest of glances as they marched off after their superior. Volan never looked away from the dangling, pale blue Pokemon in Celosia's grasp – and when she twisted herself around as best as she could to look back at him, he wasted no time in giving her a wink.

It was time.

"FRRROAKIE!" Froakie croaked as loudly as she could all of a sudden, launching a large Bubble at Celosia's feet.

The watery projectile burst in a spray of liquid and displaced dirt, showering the front of Celosia's clothes and succeeding in startling her enough to lose her grip. Froakie instantly wrenched herself away from her fingers and turned grey, landing on Celosia's head and using it as a springboard to power a Quick Attack. The purple-haired woman pitched forward with a scream, and her lackeys were soon to follow as Froakie jumped from one to the other, bowling them over like bowling pins.

"Haze, Edgar!" Volan called, throwing his arm up in the air and giving Edgar a boost.

Black fog surrounded him as Edgar took flight, slowly spreading the dark miasma around the area as he flew. Thrin saw that there was no way the Haze would spread fast enough to hide their escape, so she ordered Akuma to whip up a Gust. The Vivillon cackled mischievously as he stirred up the winds, painting the entire area around them solid black within seconds.

"Charmander, cover us with your Ember!" shouted Trevor.

"Chaaaar!" squealed Charmander, releasing flames from his tail to discourage anyone from following them.

Although the Haze obscured their vision as much as it had for those of Team Flare, the blackness abruptly ended when Volan and the rest made it out of the thick cloud. Their Pokemon, including Froakie, were hot on their heels as they made their escape. Leaves and fallen twigs crashed under their feet as they left the path and entered the thicker part of the forest, while low-hanging branches scratched at them as they ran past.

From behind them, slightly faded due to the distance they had already ran, Volan could hear Celosia's scalding voice yelling out to her lackeys, "After them, you idiots! I don't care if they're dead or alive, just _go after them_!"

" _Chick's got issues, now don't she?_ " Edgar remarked, his casual voice coming easily to Volan's ears over the noise they were making in their escape.

For a moment, Volan considered being irritated over the fact that the Murkrow was as nonchalant as ever even as they were fleeing for their lives. But the moment passed, and he decided to instead reply, "What do you want me to do, recommend a psychiatrist? All we need to do right now is lose them!"

"Wh-Which we can't do if we talk too much!" Trevor shouted. Volan could tell from the way he ran that fear was fueling his muscles.

Harsh breaths came from Thrin's mouth, indicating that she was already losing stamina. "Froakie!" she said, grabbing the Water-type's attention. "If you see anyone chasing after us, can you use your frubbles to hit them?"

Blinking with intrigue at her idea, Froakie gave her a nod from her position at Volan's side. She bunched her legs up and released the tension with a powerful spring, grabbing hold of the Gurei boy's back with her sticky feet.

An explosion from not too far off sent trails of smoke bursting through the trees behind them, and a tremor rocked the ground. The fleeing group kept their footing, though, and picked up the pace so they could outrun their foes.

Suddenly, two Houndour jumped out from the bushes ahead, surprising Volan, Thrin, and Trevor enough to stop them in their tracks.

 _They had more Pokemon on them?_ Volan thought, clenching his jaw. _And they were fast enough to cut us off so quickly._

"Charmander, use Ember on the ground!" Trevor shouted, and extended his arm to point at the ground in front of the canines.

Letting out a high-pitched growl, Charmander sliced his tail through the air with a dramatic spin, releasing several floating orbs of fire. They landed in the soil in rapid succession, creating a smokescreen that made both Houndour hesitate.

"Give it to them, Akuma!" yelled Thrin. "Use Gust!"

"Viveeeeeon!" the Bug-and-Flying-type shrilled.

A ferocious wind tore through the woods with a powerful forwards slash of Akuma's wings. The Houndour couldn't maintain their footing and were sent rolling across the ground, yelping in pain.

Of course, the grunts that commanded them weren't far behind, but Volan was anticipating their arrival. "Froakie, it's your turn!"

"Keee!" she shrieked, hurling two handfuls of frubbles with unerring accuracy.

Both Team Flare grunts were hit directly in the face, the foamy white substance striking with enough force to send them falling onto their rears with their glasses gummed up.

"Great teamwork, guys!" praised Trevor.

The note of confidence in his voice died out a second later when a Sludge Bomb came streaking through the air to strike the tree nearest Volan. The explosion almost blew his ear out, and the shockwave knocked him on his rear end. Another tremor rocked the forest floor, caused by the splintered tree trunk falling heavily to the ground.

"That's far enough," snapped Celosia, coming from out of the darkness behind them. "Drapion, stop them cold with Cross Poison!"

"DRRR-RAAAH!" the titanic scorpion howled, lunging with its razor-sharp pincers glowing a sickly purple.

"Get ready to defend, Akuma!" said Thrin.

"Dragon Dance, Charmander!" ordered Trevor.

"And Edgar, use Astonish!" commanded Volan.

Drapion swung its pincers into an X-shape, twin blades of violet energy coalescing where its limbs met. But right before it could make contact, a shimmering green barrier spilled forth from Akuma's protective wings, settling over the group and blocking Drapion's attack. A reddish-black, roiling aura engulfed Charmander, before giving way to red streaks that rose upwards around him. Once the force field went down, the Lizard Pokemon was boasting increased speed and attack power.

"CAAAWW!" shrieked Edgar, hitting Drapion at close range with the sound.

"Dooo-rap…" Drapion muttered, shrugging off the attack's effects.

The cruel smirk was back on Celosia's face as she watched her Pokemon hang in there without so much as a wince. "Nice try, but no dice," she said smugly. "Drapion, finish it with Sludge Bomb!"

Leaning back, Drapion stretched out its arms and sucked streaks of purple energy into its mouth. It prepared to fire, and Volan stepped back…

…only to feel something rocket past and slam into Drapion's neck with an explosion that lit up the entire forest.

Struck dumb with shock and awe, Volan almost couldn't bring himself to turn around. But, numbly, he did so anyway, followed by an equally-shocked Thrin and Trevor. What they were expecting was anyone's guess, even to themselves.

Some distance behind them, a sinister Pokemon with a grin spanning its entire body was getting a Shadow Ball ready between its claws. Beside the Pokemon was an even more sinister-looking person, with hollow lavender eyes peeking out from behind an unkempt mane of hair.

All Volan could think at the moment was _… Now what?_

-.-.-.-.-.

 **You know what, screw it. I'm writing a Sun/Moon story. It'll probably be published sometime in April or May.**

 **Back to the moment at hand, Team Flare makes an early appearance in this chapter, way before their otherwise long-overdue introduction at Glittering Cave! The key to developing a good villainous team is to establish them at the very beginning and then expand from there (I'm looking at you, Team Plasma, you brilliant shining examples of proper Pokemon villainy).**

 **Edgar: "** ** _Howzabout youse gives us some reviews, huh?_** **"**

 ** _Dracanis nigrapyrus_** **= "black-fire dragon dog" ("Dragon" referencing its fire-breathing ability)**

 **Next chapter** **: Uncertain Future**

 **Chapter Question #4: Do any of you think I made the Team Flare grunts a bit** ** _too_** **ridiculous in this chapter? I think I nailed the scientist, but…**

 **-.-.-.-.-.**

 **Volan's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Edgar (Murkrow, male)  
** **Ability: Super Luck  
** **Moves: Peck, Astonish, Pursuit, Haze**

 **Thrin's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Akuma (Vivillon, male)  
** **Ability: Shield Dust  
** **Moves: String Shot, Tackle, Gust, Protect**


	10. Uncertain Future

**_Chapter 9 – Uncertain Future_**

 **Last time on "Flight of a Legend"…**

 **A mysterious group calling themselves Team Flare attacked Volan and the gang in hopes of obtaining the shiny Froakie they had met with. By working together, the three humans and their Pokemon took down the members of Team Flare, only to find themselves biting off more than they can chew with Celosia, a higher-ranking member with a Drapion. But then, they found themselves aided by a spooky assistant…**

-.-.-.-.-.

If the Gengar was creepy – and as a Pokemon with Ghost as its primary type, it sure as heck was – then its mistress was a hundred times more so.

She seemed about as old as Volan or Thrin, but looked much worse for wear. A long purple dress hid her hands and her feet from view, dragging freely through the dirt. Her hair was the same shade as her clothing, and took the shape of a wild, scraggly mane that looked as though it hadn't been brushed in many years. Her thin lips were stretched out in a sly smile, contrasting almost completely with her eyes – dark lavender orbs that held a hollow, haunted light in them, as if she had been possessed by something.

Almost as if to confirm this, her smile turned into a crooked grin, and her arm rose unsteadily with a jerky movement. "Is something the matter?" she rasped.

Volan, Thrin, and Trevor all shivered at the sound of her voice. None of them had any idea of who this girl was, but she looked as if she had crawled out of a ghost story.

"Don't you dare interfere, brat!" snarled Celosia, angry at what the Gengar had done to her Drapion. "If you attack, then I have no choice but to dispose of you as well!"

Slowly, with those same shaky movements, the girl spread her arms invitingly. Her hands poked out of her baggy sleeves, revealing inch-long nails painted the color of blood. "You can try," she challenged, unconcerned. "But I wouldn't advise it."

"Gengah gen!" agreed her Gengar, still holding onto its readied Shadow Ball.

The rage clouding Celosia's face temporarily cleared up, replaced with an amused smirk. "Oh, _wouldn't_ you," she mocked, placing her hand next to her mouth in a haughty laugh. "I'm sorry, but I don't recall asking your opinion. Why don't you take it up with my Drapion?"

"Dorap!" the immense scorpion Pokemon growled.

"With pleasure," hissed the girl, her grin spreading. "Gengar, if you will…"

Laughing maliciously, the Ghost-and-Poison-type threw the Shadow Ball, a dark orb of pure destruction with an unstable white core. It slammed into Drapion, causing its long neck to tip backwards. Once it had recovered, Drapion swung its head back into position with startling quickness.

"Use Cross Poison!" Celosia yelled.

"Sucker Punch," the girl responded.

Both Pokemon charged forward, but Gengar was faster. It raised a fist and socked Drapion in the chin with an effective uppercut, sending its neck bending back once again. This time, Drapion toppled, its four legs slipping out from under it to bring it to the ground in a tremendous crash.

"Finish this with Thunderbolt," she smirked creepily.

Gengar's manic grin stretched further across its body in time with its Trainer's, and its body began to flash erratically. Shaking and jerking as if having a seizure, Gengar finally raised its arms and cackled triumphantly as it shot a sizzling lightning bolt straight at Drapion, felling it for good.

A strangled growl came from between Celosia's clenched teeth as she absorbed her Pokemon into its Poke Ball with a beam of red. "This isn't over, impudent twerps!" she snarled, entire body shaking with rage. "You've just reserved a spot for yourselves on Team Flare's Most Wanted, so we'll see who walks away victorious next time we meet!"

No more words were spoken as Celosia turned around and fled back the way she had come, followed hastily by her grunts. In mere seconds, Volan and the rest were left alone.

It was Thrin who broke the silence, falling to her knees with a huge sigh. "That was stressful," she muttered, distractedly patting Akuma on the head when he came down to rest beside her. "And here I thought our days of running into weirdly-dressed maniacs were over, huh Volan?"

"Tell me about it," he fully agreed with her.

He stuck out his hand, which his sister grabbed onto so that he could pull her up. Once she was back on her feet, Volan turned toward the next most important matter present. He only felt a minor buzz of fear when he noticed that her violet eyes were locked directly on him through the unkempt strands of hair that were falling over her face.

"Who are you?" he asked, suspicious.

Agonizingly slowly, the scary witch-like girl tilted her head to the side, maintaining her unnerving grin all the while. The way she did it made it seem like she was attempting to snap her own neck.

"A friend," was all she said. "I still haven't gotten my thank-you… you know, for saving your lives…?"

By now, her ever-present smirk was so wide and savage that Volan expected fangs to sprout from her gums. This in mind, he couldn't help but allow a shiver to travel down his back. There was something decidedly… _wrong_ with this girl, and it wasn't just her shabby appearance or the way she acted like the villain of a supernatural horror film.

Nonetheless, he thanked her. It was the polite thing to do, after all. But he would deny it if anyone claimed that he stammered a little when he did.

When she replied, it was with a question that made his blood run cold – "Do you find it… odd that Team Flare only appears when you begin your journey, Volantes?"

Her words hit Volan to his core for two reasons. One, she had a good point – he hadn't thought about it until now, but it was decidedly odd that they had run into a previously-unknown group of criminals on their first day of traveling Kalos. An unlucky coincidence, he had thought, and nothing more.

And two… how did she know his name?

The low mechanical whirr of Trevor's Pokedex activating momentarily brought him out of his troubling thoughts as the scrawny orange-haired Trainer scanned the mystery girl's grinning ghost. " **Gengar.** ** _Specter cryptenebris_** **. A Ghost-and-Poison-type Shadow Pokemon. It absorbs body heat from its prey for use as energy. This causes the victim to feel as if the area is dropping in temperature, when no such drop actually occurs. It can only do this when in close proximity to its target, so it hides by assuming the same shape as its prey's shadow. Additionally, Gengar is known to move suddenly when hiding, evoking a fearful reaction for its own amusement. It was once human and seeks company among the living. Specimen's power level is fifty. Known moves: Sucker Punch, Shadow Ball, Dark Pulse, Thunderbolt. Ability: Levitate.** "

The device's cool voice got a reaction out of the girl, who at last looked away from Volan to face Trevor instead. She drew closer to him, as if she hadn't noticed him before and was fascinated. Once he was sure her attention was on him, he froze in place and paled, staring back at her warily.

"Interesting…" she murmured, violet eyes flicking about, absorbing every detail they could. "Are you Volantes' friend? Are you sure that is wise? Maybe it would be… better, for lack of a better word, if you were to turn tail and run away, to never see your friend again…"

"Wha…?" Trevor managed to speak, shaking his head in disbelief. "H-How do y-you know his… o-or m-my…"

Suddenly, the girl lunged, grabbing hold of Trevor's shoulders and slamming him into a nearby tree. A strangled gasp of fear and shock came from the boy's lungs when his back met hard bark and strands of purple hair suddenly filled his vision – hair and a pair of hollow, dead eyes locked in an eternal trance. He cringed at the sight, combined with the feeling of her claw-like nails digging into the skin under his shirt.

"Get back!" yelled Thrin. She reached forward to pull the girl off of him, only for Gengar to appear in front of her and block her progress.

" _You have no idea what fate awaits you!_ " the girl hissed in Trevor's face. She pressed herself close to him and continued feverishly, "If you continue on the path you tread now, the only outcome for you is the fatal embrace of Death herself! Flee and don't look back, flee for your own good…!"

The Pokemon had had enough.

"Kroooow!"

"Veeeon!"

"Char!"

"Froakie!"

Sharp talons and dainty hands pulled at the girl's hair, yanking her away from Trevor as two pairs of wings buffeted her on either side. Froakie and Charmander used their hands and teeth to tug at the pile of fabric at her feet. Looking around wildly at her assailants, the girl waved her arms to chase Akuma and Edgar off and just as promptly freed herself from Charmander and Froakie.

Then, all of a sudden, she stilled. Calm again, she slowly glanced at each person present while her haunting grin manifested once more.

"Your Pokemon are loyal," she murmured. "That is good to see… but it does not matter how much you love one another. That will not save you from the devastation in your future."

"What are you talking about?" Volan asked, suddenly impatient. "And what does this have to do with me? Or Team Flare?"

"The Crisis!" she answered, whirling around to face him. Only now did an emotion surface from the haunted depths of her eyes – desperation. "I've seen it… it will come, and all will die! And now that I've met you, Volantes, and seen you for myself, I know that there is no turning back!"

That didn't clarify anything for Volan, other than that this girl was completely out of her mind. Her cryptic answer only left more questions in its wake.

"The world's demise has begun," she whispered now, backing away from the group with a trembling finger pointed at them. "But there are three… only three who can stop it, or three who will finish it…"

With one last look at each of them, the girl turned and ran, almost immediately disappearing into the bushes. Her Gengar rose above the ground and floated after her. Soon, they were gone entirely, leaving Volan, Thrin, and Trevor alone.

For the longest time, none of them spoke.

"Who was that?" Thrin asked at last.

"It's all too obvious that none of us can answer that," Volan replied. He noticed Trevor shaking and turned to him concernedly. "Trevor? Are you okay?"

He sucked in a trembling breath. "Y-Yeah. I-I'll be f-fine. J-Just… a l-little st-startled."

"Chaaar," his Charmander reassured him with a quiet cry, hugging his Trainer's leg.

" _Well dat was somethin' else, I tell ya,_ " Edgar said once he was comfortable on Volan's shoulder.

Volan, however, wasn't paying attention. He and Thrin were staring at each other, saying something without words in the way that they liked to think all siblings did. Neither of them knew who or what that mysterious girl was, aside from _creepy_. The words that had come from her mouth, sometimes calm and sometimes desperate, had made absolutely no sense to them. She had saved them from Team Flare, but was she truly an ally?

 _Certainly not one we can trust,_ Volan thought, shuddering.

"Come on," he insisted. "We're safe now, and we'd best get a move on. If we keep traveling, we can still make significant progress before it gets dark."

His proposal was met with nods all over, from Thrin and Trevor as well as the Pokemon. Froakie was still willing to come along with them until they could find a safe place for her. The shiny Water-type chose to stick close to Thrin this time, perhaps deciding to find comfort in the only other female in the group. She clambered into the Gurei girl's backpack and sat inside with her head sticking out, expression relaxing into one of contentment.

Before long, the group of three had found the main path again. Thrin and Trevor returned Akuma and Charmander to their Poke Balls for convenience's sake, but kept the spheres on their belts so that they could whip them out at a moment's notice.

The walk was silent for the most part – their minds were still on Team Flare and their odd rescuer. Strange as it may have been, but they owed their odd rescuer their lives. If they hadn't received assistance, truth be told, then they may not have walked out of that situation alive.

Unbeknownst to them, though, something else owed them its life in turn. That is why it clung to its tree and kept a watchful eye on them, continuing to do so until they passed it by. The green creature blinked, then disappeared on the spot, as completely as if it had never been there…

-.-.-.-.-.

Night had fallen on Santalune Forest, and Trevor still hadn't completely recovered from what he had been subjected to earlier that day. He sat there on the fallen log in front of the campfire, a mug of water clutched in both hands, eyes blank and body shivering with shock.

"You feeling better?" Thrin asked, sitting down beside him.

Trevor managed to nod in response to her question, but other than that, she didn't get much of a reaction from him.

And he wasn't the only one that was silent – Volan stared solemnly at the fire, the only source of light in the suffocating darkness that had overtaken the forest, unable to bring his thoughts away from the events that had transpired today. Their first day of their Kalos journey, and already they had encountered a gang of Pokemon thieves that were surely more dangerous than they seemed, and a mysterious girl that promised dire things to come in their future.

Was he overthinking this? Was Team Flare really that bad? Perhaps they weren't, and wouldn't end up achieving anything near the level of Team Plasma. Maybe the girl was just insane from being out in the woods for too long.

It would've been easy for anyone else to believe that, but Volan – no, he had seen too much in his lifetime for that to be true. His every instinct was telling him otherwise.

For now, however, it was best to keep his mind off of it. He couldn't spend too much time worrying. That would be unhealthy.

"Thanks for helping us with the fire, Trevor," he spoke up, hoping to turn the mood around. "Fire-types are a great asset for camping out, aren't they?"

Beside his master, Charmander puffed out his chest with pride. It was thanks to him that the humans and their Pokemon were able to enjoy a hot meal on this chilly night.

A snore came from where their bags were piled. Froakie had fallen asleep inside Thrin's backpack, after closing the zipper so that she was nestled safely within while still having enough air to breathe.

"Y-Yeah," agreed Trevor, patting the Lizard Pokemon on the head. "Charmander is a real friend. A-Although I'm sure I'd be happy with any of the other P-Pokemon as my Starter, this one is a-amazing."

His words brought a blush to Charmander's face, as fiery as the flame on his tail. Everyone laughed, though not unkindly, at the Fire-type's bashfulness.

The lighthearted mood did not last long, however. Trevor's face fell and he stared sadly into the fire. "S-Sorry I wasn't much help today," he apologized, quietly. "I-I felt frozen throughout the whole T-Team Flare thing… I d-didn't know a journey would b-be so dangerous."

Shaking his head, Volan responded, "I don't think stuff like this happens to everyone, Trevor. We were just unlucky enough to get caught up in it."

Even as he said it, the girl's words came back to him – _Do you find it… odd that Team Flare only appears when you begin your journey, Volantes?_

"And you weren't frozen the whole time," he continued, making an effort to force those words from his mind. "You helped us fight off the grunts, and you didn't even seem nervous about it."

A long, shuddering breath blew from Trevor's mouth as he exhaled. "Y-Yeah," he answered. "Yeah, I wasn't. I guess it was because it was m-my first real battle as a Trainer. But…"

"Don't worry," Thrin assured their nervous companion. She took off her vest and threw it over his back, then patted his thigh reassuringly. "We'll keep traveling and reach the Kalos League without any trouble whatsoever. And if we run into more of those Team Flare people, we'll give them the treatment we gave Team Plasma! Right, Volan?"

The Gurei boy simply had to grin at his sister's lighthearted attempts to cheer them up. He nodded in reply and reminded her, "First, though, we need to get our hands on some more Pokemon and train them up."

Sitting up straighter, Thrin nodded enthusiastically at the idea of training. Volan could understand her eagerness – it had been almost a full two years since they had put in hard, honest work into raising their Pokemon. Not that entering the odd tournament with their already fully-raised teams was bad, not by a long shot, but it was still exciting to be back on the road and practicing with new recruits.

"I've got some ideas about what to do with Akuma," Thrin told her brother. She raised her arm, and the large butterfly came flying over to perch on it so she could scratch him under the chin. "According to Trevor's Pokedex, he's at a high enough level to learn a bunch of powder moves. I also thought we'd try learning Struggle Bug as an offensive option."

"Viiiiiii," Akuma trilled happily at her touch.

Volan nodded again, smiling at how seriously Thrin was considering this. "And what about new Pokemon? Is there anything you want to catch in particular?"

"Well," she replied, looking upwards as she contemplated, "I'd want something to cover Akuma's weaknesses. So I think I'll keep an eye out for a Grass-type or a Water-type."

"Good idea," he digressed. "See, for me, I have to focus on countering a few select weaknesses, while at the same time trying to be as diverse as possible. That's going to be the challenge for raising a full Flying-type team."

"You need to be able to fight against Ice, Electric, and Rock," recited Trevor, "in addition to as many other things as you can. I can see the challenge… y-you must be a great Trainer to even c-consider this, Volan."

"Thanks," he smiled at the flattery. "What about you? Anything in mind for your future team?"

Trevor started a little, not having expected the question. "O-Oh, me? N-Not really. I figured I'd just c-catch anything I had the opportunity to."

"That doesn't sound like you," Thrin remarked. "Aren't you the one that studies for his exams two weeks in advance, memorizes the material word-for-word, and _still_ tears his hair out in fear that he'll fail?"

Remembering that last 'History of Kalos' test they had taken at the end of the semester, Volan winced. Poor Trevor…

"N-Normally that's what I'd do," he replied, "b-but I thought about it and thought it'd be easier this way. It wouldn't be any fun to have six Pokemon in mind and spend all my time searching for them. I want to go with what fate has in store for me… i-if that makes any sense."

The Gurei siblings nodded as one. They finished the rest of their dinner relatively quickly, favoring the idea of filling their stomachs before they continued their conversation. Once the food was all done, Volan dug in his backpack and fished out three plump Sitrus berries, which were some of the most delicious and nutritious of all fruits.

"I figured we could treat ourselves now that our first day is done," he told Thrin and Trevor, passing the berries along.

"No argument here!" Thrin cheerfully agreed. She raised the large berry above her head and announced, "A toast to our journey to win the Kalos League!"

The boys laughed and mimicked her action, the three berries making contact where they raised them. They were just about to lower their arms and take a bite of their dessert when, without warning, a gust of wind stirred their hair and Volan's berry was ripped out of his hand.

"What the…" he protested, gawking at his empty hand in bewilderment.

A rustling sound drew the gazes of the three toward a low-hanging tree branch that stretched just far enough for its tip to be illuminated by the campfire's soft light. A familiar face was perched on said branch, the stolen Sitrus berry dangling beneath it while the fire brought light to its red feathers.

"Fleeeeeetch~," sang Fletchinder, beady eyes reflecting the light of the fire.

"You again?" asked Volan. "Are you following us?"

The robin-like Pokemon shrugged and answered, "Chin Fletchiiiiindah."

Helpfully, Edgar piped up from where he was seated next to Volan, " _She says dat she was lookin' for a place ta settle down when she saw da fire._ "

Unsure of what to say to that, Volan considered for a little before tentatively looking back up at Fletchinder. "We were going to put it out in a minute or two. We still have a ways to go before we reach the other side of the forest, so…"

"Fletchindah fletch," she promptly interrupted.

" _Say what?_ " replied Edgar. When the other bird nodded, he turned to his Trainer and reported, " _Now she's sayin' she saw our battle with dem Team Flare people._ "

Fletchinder flew down to make herself comfortable on the same log on which Trevor and Thrin sat, carrying the berry all the while, and continued, "Fleeeeetch, chindah Fletchindah."

Dubiously cocking an eyebrow as the Fire-and-Flying-type started pecking freely at the Sitrus berry, Thrin questioned, "So what's she going on about now?"

" _She was impressed wit how we handled ourselves,_ " Edgar replied shortly.

Might Fletchinder actually be reconsidering the offer Volan had made to her that afternoon? That was the possibility at the forefront of his mind as he watched Fletchinder eat, her full focus now on the fruit she had snatched from him.

"Edgar says that Fletchinder liked the way we were able to defeat Team Flare," he murmured to the others. "Do you think I should ask her again to come along with us?"

"It's worth a go," Trevor responded. "We might not see her again, so you may as well use this opportunity."

He had a point – they'd be out of Santalune Forest tomorrow, leaving Fletchinder far behind them by the next sunset. If ever there was a chance to get the powerful Flying-type to join him after all, it was now.

Steeling himself, Volan got out of his seat and brought himself into a kneeling position on the ground directly beside Fletchinder. She dug her beak out of the succulent fruit and swallowed her umpteenth beakful before she realized his presence. Her head twitched up and to the side, and Volan momentarily paused to admire her blacker-than-black eyes, like polished river stones.

"I know I've asked you this before," he began, voice toned down to a mere whisper but hard with determination, "and I also know I failed to back up my request with a satisfying battle, but I have to ask one more time. Will you come with us, Fletchinder, and be a part of the team?"

She blinked once, the neutral look in her eyes impossible to read. She flicked her head in the other direction to briefly observe Edgar, then again for Akuma and a final time for Charmander. When she faced Volan again, it was obvious that something had changed.

"Fletchin," Fletchinder twittered at last. " _Alright, I'm in._ "

With a rustle of feathers, the Ember Pokemon lifted off and flew in a rising circle around Volan with a high-pitched note of victory. Volan simply smiled while Thrin and Trevor slapped their hands together in a high-five. The Pokemon all welcomed the newest member of the family in their own ways, with much excited fluttering from Akuma and loud cawing from Edgar.

"So," Volan said, when Fletchinder had settled back down in front of him, "we need a name for you. Have you anything in mind?"

"Fletch? Fletchindah," she replied. " _A name? Never thought of one._ "

Excitedly, Thrin bent forward to more closely address her. "Ooh, how about Falcon? It sounds fierce and powerful!"

"I-I was thinking something like… Hinoya?" suggested Trevor. He looked to Volan as if asking permission. "Y-You know, like Hinoyakoma? The Kantonian name for Fletchinder?"

Both ideas sounded strange to Fletchinder herself. The first was too masculine and the second was _weird_. She gave her Trainer – and she'd have to get used to thinking of Volan as her Trainer, come to think of it – a pleading sort of glance that said, _Help me_.

"Piper," Volan decided. "It… sounds right, I guess. I don't know, it kind of popped into my head suddenly."

Regardless of where he had gotten it from, his second Kalos Pokemon was content with it. The newly-christened Piper sat patiently as Volan took an empty Poke Ball from his backpack and gently tapped her head with it, activating the mechanism and allowing her to be sucked inside.

"You too, Edgar," he added, retrieving the Murkrow's ball as well. "We need to get some sleep if we want to be out of the forest before noon tomorrow."

None of the Pokemon complained as they were reabsorbed into their respective capsules. Soon, the tents were all set up (Trevor needed help with his) and the fire was put out with a pail of water gathered from a nearby stream. Thrin took her backpack with her into her tent so that Froakie would be safe.

One by one, the three Trainers fell peacefully asleep, their first day of travel having finally come to a close.

-.-.-.-.-.

But not everyone's sleep remained peaceful…

Inside one of the tents, Volan lay on his side in his sleeping bag, his face tensed slightly and his body twitching periodically as he fought to dispel the nightmare that had gripped his subconscious. In it, he was trapped in darkness and unable to move, while something invisible circled him and whispered to him in an uncomfortably familiar voice.

 _"_ _Is something the matter?"_

 _"…_ _odd that Team Flare only appears when you begin your journey…?"_

 _"_ _You have no idea what fate awaits you!"_

 _"_ _The Crisis! It will come, and all will die! I know that there is no turning back!"_

 _The darkness retreated all at once, revealing a barren wasteland in which no plants grew. Volan shot upwards with a gasp, suddenly free from his bonds, and watched in horror as the darkness was sucked away into a small, black hole in the overcast sky. Directly beneath the hole, there was some kind of crystalline formation growing from the earth like a colossal flower._

 _Abruptly, the spear-shaped crystal opened up, blinding red light shining through the cracks. It seared Volan's eyes, causing him to lose his balance and fall when he tried to protect himself. By the time he adjusted, it was to see a scarlet beam erupting from within the tower of crystal, striking the black hole and flooding the sky with red._

 _Everything under the expanding red shadow began to crumble into nothingness, even the ground itself. A bottomless pit yawned wide, and it was rapidly closing the distance between it and Volan. But he couldn't run, for at that moment, the red light where the beam struck the sky flared up with a sudden brightness, blinding him once again._

 _A screech pealed across the landscape, unlike any sound Volan had ever heard. It was more than a mere noise – it was like the sound of fear and pain embodied. The light continued to brighten, creating a scattering effect where three spikes of light flared out from the source like a more sinister version of the sun's rays, resembling the shape of a Y._

 _Red flooded his vision, and terror clutched at Volan's heart with such force that, surely, his own life would leave his body in order to escape._

 _But it didn't. Rather, the red soon began to recede._

 _When Volan's vision recovered from the temporary blindness, it was to see the tips of his shoes touching the lip of the pit that had been eating away at the surrounding earth. Backing away, he lifted his head to gaze once more at the sky, from which the ominous red glow was already fading. The Y-shaped star was growing dimmer, its three rays of light shrinking back toward its core._

 _Soon, it was only a flickering point, like a star that shone beneath the clouds rather than above. Energy ceased to flow from the giant crystal formation, and it seemed to become dormant. There was a strange stillness about it that made Volan believe that it was no longer active._

 _Everything was quiet as Volan continued to step away from the pit, only stopping when he was a safe distance away. Now he could afford a good look at his surroundings – he was on a barren plain surrounded by equally-barren hills. There wasn't a speck of color for as far as the eye could see, apart from the dim red light that sparkled above as a reminder of the near-apocalypse that had just occurred. The crystal, Volan noticed, was greenish-silver in color, and was bright enough to shine across the shadowy landscape even without any light to reflect._

 _Only now did he realize that he was locked in a dream. He didn't know how, but perhaps it was how surreal this place seemed, like it could not possibly exist in reality. Or because Volan had some experience with dreams like this._

 _His thoughts were immediately put aside when the sky lit up again. This time, however, it was with a deafening roar that popped his eardrums with its sheer intensity. Vivid green spread across the sky, tinting the clouds the deep color of a forest while more intense green shone through the cracks. In the distance, the crystal structure transformed into a pillar of emerald fire that roiled and raged, adding to the spectacular and frightening light show._

 _More green emerged from the pit in front of him, tendrils of green flame snaking upwards and soaring into the air before descending to meet him. Volan could feel the heat burning his skin as they drew closer. The green illumination given off by the flames was so close now, it was starting to brighten to white. He braced himself…_

 _…_ _and yet the flames never touched him. They were trying, given how they were struggling, but it was as if an invisible force field had sprung into existence between them and him, shielding him from obliteration._

 _"_ _ **You have been chosen.**_ _"_

 _Volan flinched at the volume and closeness of the voice, which sounded like it was coming from all around him._

 _"_ _ **You and two others will stop the Crisis.**_ _"_

 _Who was that? The voice seemed oddly familiar, but no matter how much Volan tried, his mind could draw no parallels._

 _"_ _ **If you perish, the world is lost.**_ _"_

 _Everything went black, only for a trio of colored lights to blink into existence and begin circling him. He watched each one as if hypnotized, fascinated by the dance of blue, pink, and yellow._

 _"_ _ **Together, you are the Chosen Three, and the fate of this world is in your hands.**_ _"_

 _The lights shut off, leaving Volan to fall into the abyss._

He woke up with a start, sitting up straight despite the fact he was still in his sleeping bag. It took him a second of wriggling and trying to free his arms before he realized this. Sighing with relief, he lay down and went back to sleep.

Outside, something blinked into existence. It gazed mindlessly down at its sleeping saviors for a while – then, satisfied, it disappeared again in a minor flash of green.

-.-.-.-.-.

 **A new character shows up on the scene! We don't know anything about her yet (although she knows a borderline creepy amount of stuff about our heroes), but I will tell you that she's partially based on the Hex Maniacs from XY and ORAS.**

 **I'm not sure why, but I like the idea that Trevor is fascinated by Kantonian culture and would nickname Pokemon after what they're called in Japan because of it. New headcanon, perhaps?**

 **Second time's the charm, apparently, because this time Volan nabs Fletchinder! There's no real significance behind her nickname, really – I remember that my friend came up with a character with that name, and that character was fire-related, so I suppose it's as good a name as any.**

 **Celosia: "Send reviews or you'll be sorry!"**

 ** _Specter cryptenebris_** **= "hidden shadow specter"**

 **Next chapter** **: What's Bugging You?**

 **Chapter Question #5: Which villainous team is your favorite?**

 **Honestly, I'm still a Team Plasma fan, but Team Skull and Cipher from Gale of Darkness are both pretty cool too.**

 **-.-.-.-.-.**

 **Volan's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Edgar (Murkrow, male)  
** **Ability: Super Luck  
** **Moves: Peck, Astonish, Pursuit, Haze**

 **Piper (Fletchinder, female)  
** **Ability: Flame Body  
** **Moves: Peck, Quick Attack, Ember, Agility**

 **Thrin's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Akuma (Vivillon, male)  
** **Ability: Shield Dust  
** **Moves: String Shot, Tackle, Gust, Protect**


	11. What's Bugging You?

**_Chapter 10 – What's Bugging You?_**

 **Last time on "Flight of a Legend"…**

 **Volan and the others were saved from Team Flare by a mysterious individual and her Gengar, only for the girl to turn on them minutes later and warn them of an unknown threat. Once night had fallen, the traveling trio puzzled over the day's events as well as their plans for the future. The Fletchinder that Volan had attempted to capture earlier soon came by their campfire, and out of respect for his skill in battling Team Flare, decided to join forces with him.**

-.-.-.-.-.

It was still morning when the thick trees of Santalune Forest started to thin away, replaced by hilly terrain awash in a luxurious carpet of wild grass. Sunlight poured down through the morning sky unopposed as if to welcome the trio of Volan, Thrin, and Trevor to Route 3 – the final leg of the journey to Santalune City and the first Gym in Kalos.

For Volan, the sunshine banished the darkness that still clouded his mind. All morning, throughout the trek through the remainder of Santalune Forest, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about the awful nightmare. The red light, the disintegrating earth, the terrible green fire… upon awakening, the images left in his memory became distorted as the sensation of awareness came back to him, as dreams tend to do. Still, there was enough detail left for him to relay what he had seen in his sleep to Thrin and Trevor over breakfast.

While Trevor – who had always considered himself a good friend to the Gureis – was understandably concerned, Thrin was worried to a whole other level. She knew Volan didn't have ordinary dreams, at least not usually. Back during their travels in Unova, Volan's dreams eventually ended up proving themselves to be prophetic. He could literally dream of future events to come. She hadn't really been around to truly experience this phenomenon (and she could fully blame Team Plasma for that), but Volan had told her all about the way he had foreseen the battle between Reshiram and Zekrom, and the confrontation with Tornadus and Thundurus.

What was really surprising, though? Volan had dreamed of some kind of 'crisis', exactly what the creepy girl with the Gengar had confronted them about yesterday after the attack by Team Flare. That girl had claimed to have seen the same thing, and if two people had foreseen it… did that mean it was going to happen? Thrin wasn't particularly superstitious, and wasn't keen on trusting the word of a young woman that looked like she had been shambling about dazedly in the woods for weeks, but something wasn't right.

Something was giving her chills, and it wasn't the coolness of the early morning summer air.

Volan made sure to take a deep, prolonged breath through his nose, raising his face to greet the sun as the shadows of the forest were left behind. All thoughts of the dark nightmare he allowed to be chased away by the life-giving rays that set the landscape awash in color.

 _It's a new day,_ he said to himself. _A day for training, a day for traveling, a day to be enjoyed._

"Guys, look!" Thrin shouted all of a sudden, pointing into the distance. "We can see Santalune City from all the way up here!"

Indeed they could. Together, the trio stood at the top of a hill that was high enough for them to look across the land for miles. Down below, like a vast grey rug, Santalune City spread itself out for them at the very bottom of the sloping landscape. It was so… different. And to think that they were literally only a few steps away from Santalune Forest!

"Oh, good," sighed Trevor, slumping with relief. "That night in the woods was too much for me. I stayed up for hours fearing that some Bug Pokemon was going to crawl into my sleeping bag."

"We might even catch up to Calem and the rest once we get there," Volan added. "You'll be back with your friends in no time, Trevor."

"A-Actually, I think it's more likely they're somewhere on Route 3," the orange-haired boy corrected. He was nervous to be correcting the older male's point, but then again, pretty much everything made him nervous. "They couldn't have made it out of the forest in a single day, right…?"

Nodding, Volan palmed two Poke Balls, so far the only two that remained occupied. "I'll send Edgar and Piper out to look for them, then. Shouldn't be too hard…"

He tossed both spheres into the air, and they released their inhabitants at the same time. Both birds coalesced in midair, wings already flapping to keep them at a hovering position.

"Can you two fly out over the area and find Trevor's friends?" he asked. "Edgar, you know what they look like. Piper, would it help if I gave you a general idea of what to search for?"

"Fletch," she replied. " _Obviously._ "

Not getting the words but certainly getting the sarcasm, Volan rolled his eyes and explained. "There are two girls and two boys. One of the girls is tall and has blond hair, the other one is shorter and has darker skin… then one of the boys is black-haired and is wearing mostly blue, while the other has a black T-shirt and kind of looks like a really energetic Snorlax –"

Thrin _exploded_ with laughter. She doubled over with her arms crossed over her stomach and her ponytail flopping over her head while she wheezed. Volan and Trevor exchanged bemused expressions as the former's two birds did the same.

"Y-Y-You can't… can't just _say_ that about s-someone!" the younger Gurei finally managed to squeak between her gales.

"I can so," Volan protested half-heartedly, wearing an amused smirk on his face. "Alright, you two. See if you can find them and report back once you do. We'll keep heading straight toward the city once Thrin gets her breath back."

She didn't actually get it back until about a minute after Edgar and Piper had flown off. It took several more minutes for one of them to come back – it was Piper, through either luck or the fact she was faster, or a combination of the two. The trio of Trainers were busy making their way across the hills when they heard the Fire-and-Flying-type's shrill chirps calling out to them.

Moments later, Shauna's head appeared over the ridge they were heading towards. Even from a distance, they could tell that she was sweating from the effort it had taken for her to climb back up in the direction in which she had previously come. But all her exhaustion seemed to evaporate entirely when she saw who was waiting for her.

"Gengareetings!" she cried out, enveloping each of them in a quick, heartfelt hug. "Oh my gosh, it seems like ages since I last abomasaw you!"

She relinquished her light, affectionate grip on the Gureis as she hugged them in turn, but she reacted to the sight of Trevor with particular delight, beaming happily and wrapping her arms around him extra tightly.

"It's so good to see you again, Trevor!" she gushed. "When we lost you in Santalune Forest, I hoped super-hard that you'd get out safely, and here you are!"

Hesitantly, Trevor hugged her back after a couple of seconds of maintaining his balance. Then she pushed him away and set her hands upon his shoulders, giving him a brilliant smile. Poor Trevor's cheeks were glowing like a sunset as she exposed him to her innocent-minded affection.

Without even missing a beat, Shauna let go of him and hopped on the spot, turning to Volan. She went on, "My brother and Tierno are ahead of me now. They were already moving on ahead, but I decided I wanted to stay behind and admire the scenery, and then your Fletchinder appears and starts chirping at me like it wants me to follow! Do you mind if I give it a scandile with my new Pokedex?"

The bubbly, innocent one of their group of friends talked so fast and so enthusiastically that it was hard for Volan to follow. His brain was still comprehending her Pokemon puns by the time she was done, so it was a second before he realized what she had asked. With an accepting nod, he stretched out his arm so Piper could perch there and give Shauna a clean scan.

Honestly, he couldn't help but admire how smoothly her Kalos Pokedex slid outwards to accommodate the holographic screen. Hopefully, Professor Sycamore would be generous enough to let him upgrade his old one from Unova when they got to his lab in Lumiose City.

" **Fletchinder,** " the mechanical encyclopedia reported. " ** _Komadori homocida_** **. A Fire-and-Flying-type Ember Pokemon. Like its pre-evolution, Fletchling, Fletchinder is relentlessly aggressive against others of its kind. Its territory spans several miles and it does not hesitate to use its beak and talons to injure any intruders. Often, young Fletchinder looking for a territory of their own do not survive their first breeding season due to repeated attacks from aggressive neighbors. When hunting, Fletchinder catches insects and roasts them with embers, which are produced internally and can be either vented between the gaps in its feathers or used to boost its speed. Specimen is female with power level of seventeen. Known moves: Peck, Agility, Quick Attack, Ember. Ability: Flame Body.** "

Shauna's jaw was agape as she slipped her Pokedex back into her purse. "Wow, Volan!" she marveled. "How did you manage to catch such a powerful Pokemon on your first day?"

Sheepishly, Volan grinned, "I guess a combination of luck and experience."

"You said Calem and Tierno are already ahead of you?" Trevor asked, surprised.

"Mm-hm!" Shauna hummed affirmatively. "We traveled all day yesterday and trained our Starters when we set up camp! And this morning, both managed to torracatch some new Pokemon! They're really something!"

As one, the Gurei siblings grinned. Looks like they already had some competition for the Kalos League.

"We're on our way to Santalune right now," Trevor was telling Shauna. "I know that Volan and Thrin want to challenge the Gym there, so we'll probably make that our first stop. Want to tag along?"

"Absolutely!" the brown-haired girl grinned, and Volan had a faint suspicion that she had just made a stealth pun. "What about you, Trevor? Are you registering for the Kalos League as well?"

"O-Oh," he fidgeted, seemingly thrown off by the question. "U-Uh, n-not really. I-I d-don't think I'm good enough f-for something like that. I just w-want to see lots of cool Pokemon, th-that's all."

Despite what it looked like he was expecting, Shauna found no problem with that whatsoever. She jabbered excitedly that she wasn't aiming for fame and glory at the League either, she only wanted to see the sights of Kalos and create her own 'scrapbook of fantastic mewmories', as she worded it. She went on and on about Prism Tower and Shabboneau Castle and a bunch of other drivel that Volan and Thrin, quite honestly, rapidly lost interest in.

"No offense, but we should probably get moving," Thrin interrupted the little chatterbox. This, thankfully, cut off the endless stream of babble.

But not for long.

"Oh, you know what I just thought?!" Shauna burst out excitedly, turning her bright expression to Trevor. "If you want to see lots and lots of Pokemon, you could get a camera! You know, so you have the evidence on hand whenever you forgetch'd one! I heard the Gym Leader in Santalune is supposed to be a photographer, so she could give you some hot tips!"

The idea brought new, radiant light to Trevor's eyes. The change stunned Volan, to say the least. He was genuinely bursting with excitement at Shauna's proposal, to which he replied with a level of enthusiasm most commonly attributed to his best friend Tierno. Did he really like photography that much?

Perhaps Volan didn't know Trevor as much as he thought. If he continued to stick around, then Volan felt as though he would make a more interesting traveling companion than he could have predicted.

-.-.-.-.-.

Hours passed as the newly-expanded group of four made their way down the grass-covered slopes of Route 3. Fortunately, although the height difference between the top and the city awaiting them at the bottom was worryingly large, the landscape was divided up into many, many smaller ridges and hills. There were natural pathways everywhere, ensuring that there was no one part of the descent that was too steep or that put them at risk.

Finally, the terrain flattened out, and the gang found themselves standing at the edge of Santalune City.

It was the first city they had been to in Kalos, and right away, Volan and Thrin could tell that it was different from any city they'd traveled to in Unova. It sported a population much larger than that of Vaniville and Aquacorde Town, but it still maintained a very… humble appeal. The buildings were all stone and brick, and the streets were made up of more traditional materials, such as cobblestone in some places. Fountains, parks, and gardens were commonplace, which rapidly became apparent as they walked further into the city. Cafes and restaurants all had quaint little outdoor dining areas with elegant high-backed chairs. Children and their Pokemon ran freely in frivolous play.

Santalune City was a place that was deeply rooted to its history, it seemed. While places like Lumiose had 'upgraded' – for lack of a better term – with the rise of modern technology, Santalune remained the same after hundreds of years.

Once they had done their fill of admiring the architecture and layout of the city, Shauna and Thrin both wanted to hit the Gym right away. Trevor had an increased enthusiasm for the idea as well, now that Shauna had introduced a possibility for him to set all the remarkable sights he would see on his journey in stone (well, more like pixels, or printer ink should he decide to make a photo album – but that was beside the point).

Normally, Volan would have been as eager as they were to make a first Kalos League impression at the Santalune Gym. But something Shauna had said back on Route 3 reminded him that there was something more important to do.

They actually had to register.

Yes, even Trainer veterans like Volan and Thrin themselves had forgotten the most fundamental first step of competing in a regional League in their excitement to get started. Registration always took place in one of any Pokemon Centers scattered around the region, those free-of-charge healing facilities used exclusively by Trainers to care for their Pokemon after battles. They were an integral part of any Pokemon League, in any region. All that was needed was a Trainer ID, Pokedex, or any other kind of personal identification.

But there was a problem in the case of the Gureis. Their Pokedexes were very outdated, without info on any Kalosian or Alolan species, and their Trainer IDs were from Unova and written in the language. They'd never had any problem entering tournaments, so the IDs should be perfectly fine, but still…

"Maybe we should ask if we could get our IDs updated," Thrin proposed. "Trevor, Shauna, do you have yours?"

"Yes, they came with the Poke Balls from Professor Sycamore," Trevor affirmed, and he and Shauna both held up their identifications.

"But we're not competing in the Kalos League, so it doesn't matter either way," she added, playfully poking her tongue out.

The Pokemon Center was located in the main square of Santalune City. It was a massive, wide-open area dominated by the grandest water fountain Volan had ever seen in his life, which took the shape of a Roselia spewing water from its two flowers into the pond beneath it. While the plaza was certainly buzzing with activity as people went about their business, the only other notable buildings in sight were a large one directly to the left of the Pokemon Center – judging from its structure, it was almost definitely a Trainer's School of some sort – and a slightly smaller one sitting at the corner of a neighboring intersection between two cobblestone roads.

Pointing to the curious building, Volan asked, "Does that one remind you of the Gym in Striaton City, Thrin?"

"Kinda, yeah," she replied, shading her eyes and squinting. "It's got a Pokemon League symbol above the entrance, and there's that artistic sort of feel to it. Check it out later?"

They agreed to do that right after they got themselves set up at the Pokemon Center.

Inside, it wasn't that much different than the Pokemon Centers in Unova that Volan had come to know and love. He got a more futuristic impression from this one, though, with its immaculate chrome floor and the holographic screens everywhere. In the center of the lobby was a great, hollowed-out cylinder with a massive blue screen on its interior wall and a red counter guarding the healing machinery inside. A woman in a pink nurse's outfit stood behind the counter, her back to the entrance.

"That'd be Nurse Joy," Volan decided, to general agreement.

They proceeded further into the impossibly clean building and stopped directly in front of the counter, and Thrin was the one who placed her hands on top in preparation for speaking. "Excuse me," she said clearly. "We were hoping to register for the Kalos League and get our Pokemon checked while we're here?"

The woman turned around, and the four of them froze.

Volan had been wrong. This wasn't Nurse Joy.

She was clearly about eighteen or nineteen years old, with short black hair that didn't reach her ears and stringy bangs that had to be brushed away for her to see clearly. Her mouth and eyebrows were both held in a firm, carefully neutral manner that was intended to mask any emotion. But as always, a glance into the eyes revealed all that she hoped to hide – a shade of midnight blue dark enough to be mistaken for black, her orbs radiated a scalding yet frigid fury that warned them to back off or suffer the consequences.

But her needle-sharp glare didn't have the same effect on Volan as it did on the others. Instead of recoiling, he leaned slightly forward, peering more closely at her. He'd _seen_ those eyes before.

And – yes, there it was. In their depths, just beyond the cracks in the cold hatred, was exactly what he had expected to see. The freezing-cold anger covered up a softer core of sadness and betrayal. This girl had been stabbed in the back by someone she thought she could trust. As a result of a scar from the past, she didn't trust anyone except those closest to her.

How did he know this? Because regardless of color, the girl's eyes were exactly the same pair Volan had seen in the mirror every day, up until two years ago. Those eyes were Volan's own.

She turned her glare of darkest blue directly on him, and he hastily retreated to a respectable distance to stand more closely beside his fellows.

"Put your Poke Balls on the tray," she spoke in a perfectly flat tone. A pale-skinned hand gestured to the steel carrying contraption that sat on the counter. "I'll make sure your Pokemon are properly checked and healed. But you'll have to take the matter of registration up with my boss."

"Thanks for the h-help," Trevor told her, attempting a smile.

Her sight went straight through him as she turned back around. "Don't waste your breath."

An appalled gasp came from Shauna's mouth, and she placed her hands on her hips. "Ex- _cuse_ me!" she protested. "That's so rude!"

All at once, the girl behind the counter turned around and _glared_. The calm mask fell away to be replaced with rage. Although the effect was somewhat ruined when she was wearing a cutesy nurse uniform, the abruptness of the transformation was enough to get Shauna to backpedal away in shock.

Meticulously, each contorted muscle in the girl's face relaxed one-by-one to restore her previous unconcerned expression. When Volan stepped forward to defend Shauna, her mistrustful eyes flicked towards him.

Recognition clicked.

"I know you," she hissed quietly. "The boy… the one from two years ago."

To say Volan was surprised would've been a gross underestimation. He'd been expecting a threat or at least a thrown insult. This was… new.

"You were on the news," the black-haired girl insisted, scrutinizing him. "V… V-Voltaire. No… Volantes? That was it. The one who saved the world."

This time, it was she who backed away, regarding the Gurei boy with something close to awe. He could almost see the gears in her head turning, analyzing him even through her bafflement.

 _Who is this?_ the question asked itself without Volan bidding it.

Breaking the building tension right on cue, a door slammed from somewhere nearby, and a flustered-looking Nurse Joy speed-walked around the hollow cylindrical structure and into view. Although she was obviously older than the girl and had properly-styled pink hair, her uniform was exactly the same as the one she wore.

"I'm back," she sighed, placing her hand on a holographic screen on the wall of the cylinder, which opened up a previously-hidden entryway built into the counter itself. She walked inside immediately and took over the girl's position, continuing to talk. "Sorry I'm late, there was an emergency with one of the patients… and you're supposed to _smile_ at the guests. For the thousandth time, make them feel welcome instead of trying to scare them off."

"I'm being as business-like as I can, Nurse Joy," her assistant replied in clipped tones. "That's about as close to friendly as I'm ever getting."

 _She's definitely hiding something with those carefully-measured words,_ Volan noted, remembering all the times he had done so. _An emotion she doesn't want to show._

A disgusted, frustrated grunt was all Nurse Joy needed to dismiss her assistant. She slipped through the closing exit and across the lobby, her movements stiff so as not to show any anger that might have been bubbling to the surface. The sliding glass doors let her out of the building, and then closed on her retreating figure.

"I'm so sorry about my assistant," Nurse Joy frowned sympathetically at the group. "She works so hard to support her family. I couldn't fire her if I wanted to, even if her attitude sometimes makes it tempting…"

The pink-haired nurse let in a deep, extended breath before she let it rush out her mouth. Once she had regained her composure, she put on the bright, perky smile that all Nurse Joys typically wore. Her outfit, Volan noticed, was identical to that worn by all Unovan Nurse Joys as well, possibly reflecting the close historical relationship the two regions had.

"Anyway," she said, "how can I help you young Trainers?"

"Our Pokemon need a check-up," Shauna chirped.

"And my brother and I want to register for the Kalos League!" finished Thrin.

"Excellent!" replied Nurse Joy, smiling kindly at them. "Do you have a Pokedex or Trainer ID?"

To confirm, Volan and Thrin set their own of each item down on the counter in front of her. Upon seeing that they were of Unovan origin, Nurse Joy frowned contemplatively.

"This may be a problem," she finally said, more to herself than to them. "There's nothing I can do with those Pokedexes… the fact you even have such expensive tools is a good sign, which means you must have impressed one of the Pokemon professors… but they're not compatible with the registration system. I _can_ work with the IDs, but not the ones you've given me. You'll need new ones."

The process was short and simple, and Volan and Thrin soon found themselves holding brand-new Trainer Licenses, black-and-white with gold Kalosian lettering. Nothing had been left behind during the transfer of information, not even the permit they had gotten while in Unova to be able to train prehistoric Pokemon revived from fossils.

"You two are all set! Train well, and I look forward to seeing you compete in the League!" the nurse encouraged them. "I'll take your Pokemon now, all four of you, if you would still like that check-up!"

Five Poke Balls were handed over, two of which were Volan's. Nurse Joy placed them inside slots in the machine behind her, and each slot was covered by a glass dome and subjected to scanning. The information for each Pokemon was listed on the neon blue screen behind her, much to the Trainers' collective fascination. After the process was finished, the Poke Balls were released and given back to their owners. Volan peered into the transparent bottoms to make sure that he had both Edgar and Piper.

"Th-That's all you need to do for a checkup?" Trevor's voice quavered with amazement. "So hi-tech! That's really cool!"

"For checkups, all we really need to do is scan the Pokemon to make sure everything's in good working order," Nurse Joy smiled at him. "If there are any illnesses, injuries, or broken bones, they're automatically taken down to get proper treatment. This healing system was developed by Lysandre Labs some years ago and has become standard throughout the entire Kalos region."

Wasn't that the name of the company Professor Sycamore had mentioned in his letter to Calem? It was the same company that made their Pokedexes. Interesting.

"Now that we're done here," Thrin said, "why don't we go get lunch? After that, we can go check out that building we saw on our way here."

Her idea was met with unanimous agreement. There was no cafeteria or eatery inside the Pokemon Center, unlike the ones in Unova, so they had to go elsewhere if they wanted to fill their bellies. Fortunately, there were no shortage of places to eat here in Santalune City, ranging from modest cafes to ridiculously high-end diners. Public eateries were apparently a huge thing in Kalos.

They ended up settling down at a place on the other side of the main square. From where they sat in the small, shaded dining area, they could enjoy a perfect view of the impressive fountain in the center of the square as well as the well-groomed lawns and flower beds that served to decorate it. They took their time eating, so almost an hour had passed by the time they stood up and retrieved their packs, ready to leave.

As it turned out, the building that had caught their interest – the one near to the Pokemon Center on the right-hand side – was actually the local Gym. It said so on the sign out on the lawn in front. However, it also doubled as some kind of gallery or museum for the general public. With plenty of time left in the day, Volan and the others didn't feel rushed to hurry things along, and spent a few minutes admiring what the Gym had to offer.

The gallery was a single room, and every inch of the walls were covered in huge photographs hanging in frames. Each photo was of some kind of Pokemon, of course. The vast majority of them were Bug-types, although others existed among them.

"Whoever took these did a really good job," Thrin stated from one side of the room, gazing up at a beautifully-executed photograph of a Butterfree hovering in front of a flower bush. Its head was cocked, seemingly unable to decide which flower to choose first.

"I'm willing to bet that the leader specializes in Bug-types," muttered Volan, eyeing a sequence of photos as he walked along the wall. There was a Joltik, he recognized, followed by a Spewpa and then a pair of Volbeat and Illumise.

"What makes you think that?" asked Shauna, ever quizzical.

"Just call it a hunch," he replied under his breath.

He continued to walk slowly, observing each picture as he passed it, but then stopped. There was one picture that caught his attention – unlike the others, this one was black-and-white, definitely much older than the rest of the gallery. It featured a pair of Flying-types, but Volan didn't recognize them. They looked like Pidove, but slightly thinner and sleeker and with different colors (at least, he assumed so, judging by the different shades of grey on their bodies).

Suddenly, he became highly aware of a set of footsteps coming his way. The noise that the newcomer's shoes made against the floor were not those of Thrin or Trevor or Shauna, so Volan turned around to face the person who approached him. She was a blonde woman with cargo pants and a white tank top, and a camera strap around her neck. The camera, which Volan could tell was high-quality and meant for professionals, was held gently in front of her, nestled in both of her hands.

"That picture was supposed to be moved to an art museum in Lumiose City some time ago," she told him, eyes locked on the photo of interest. "But I managed to convince the curator to keep it here. This is a gallery dedicated to Pokemon photographers, after all, even though this one and a few others like it are so much older than the ones I've taken."

Thrin approached, blinking dubiously. "You mean you're the one that took all these photos?" she asked, sweeping an arm to gesture to the room in its entirety.

"Most of them," the woman admitted. "My name's Viola, and I'm the Gym Leader here. But I also have a passion for Pokemon photography, and Bugs are my absolute favorite subjects. They're just so fantastic!"

Honestly, Volan was only mildly surprised to learn that this woman owned the Gym. He must have subconsciously made the connection when he saw the camera.

"Can't argue with that," Thrin agreed with Viola's statement, giving her a grin. She was certainly thinking of her Vivillon.

Smiling back at her, Viola then turned back to the old photo that she had caught Volan looking at with such interest. "That was taken over a hundred years ago, in the Unova region. It's of the last existing pair of an extinct Pokemon called Abundove. They were hunted until there were none left."

There was only silence left when Viola finished explaining. Volan, in particular, was unable to find any words. He could feel a faint sadness building in his chest. Extinction was never a happy tale to tell.

Viola then nodded at a frame directly beneath that of the lost bird, one which depicted another Flying-type with a thick, crushing beak and a pale face. "And that one has the same story. Apparak lived in Unova until they were hunted down for stealing from farmer's apple orchards. They depended on apples for their survival, and they were even green with yellow heads to match the color of their favorite food."

While the visitors to her photo gallery were holding their hands to their hearts in sympathy for the unfortunate Pokemon, Viola pointed out the last black-and-white photo. This time, it was a Vivillon, but one with a very unusual pattern on its wings. There was one dark spot on each wing, each sitting below a downwards-sloping line, and the bottom of its wings had a series of jagged triangles lining the edge – probably meant to emulate glaring eyes and sharp teeth.

"This Vivillon scared away its enemies by flashing its pattern at them," Viola lectured, a bit sadly. "It once lived in Kalos, but not anymore."

"Is that part of the reason why you decided to pursue photography?" Trevor hesitantly asked after another short silence. "So that you could take pictures of Pokemon in case they were lost forever?"

Nodding, Viola replied, "Yes, part of it. The other part was because… well, it's fun! It's so fantastic to get a shot of a Pokemon as it goes about its daily life. In fact, sometimes I'd almost say that it's positively magical!"

Trevor nodded back with much enthusiasm, soaking up her every word. He wanted to take pictures of every Pokemon he ever came across – and more than that, he wanted to take _good_ pictures, ones that'd look great in an album should he ever decide to put one together. The advice of an expert like Viola was a huge boon for him.

"So," the Gym Leader spoke up again, "I assume you'd all like to challenge the Gym?"

"Not us!" confirmed Shauna, grabbing Trevor's arm with a cheery grin. "But Volan and Thrin over there want to!"

The siblings together stepped forward. However, before they could even get a word out, Viola stopped them with a politely raised hand.

Wearily, she said, "Look, if I can be blunt for a minute, now's not the time, alright? I've been getting a lot of complaints lately about a troublesome Trainer around the city, and it's a Gym Leader's duty to take care of things like this. You know?"

Volan and Thrin both nodded. At least where they came from, Gym Leaders always involved themselves in affairs that might be larger than the average everyday mishap. Sure, they wouldn't go out of their way to discipline every misbehaving Pokemon troubling the residents, but things such as stolen museum exhibits and secret Team Plasma hideouts were some examples of what Gym Leaders had to deal with when it meant keeping peace in their home city.

Actually, the more Volan thought about it, the more this sounded like a problem that Viola shouldn't have been bothering with.

That was why, his voice tinged with suspicion, he asked, "Exactly how bad is this Trainer?"

"Most of the incidents have been on Route 23, just east of here," Viola answered. "That's where a lot of students at the Trainer's School go to… well, train. It's the biggest school in Kalos, so we've got students that are too young for licenses as well as students that have earned badges. Ninety percent of the people that go out there come back with bruises, injured Pokemon, and stories about a Trainer wearing all black that demolished them in battle."

Tapping her chin in thought, Thrin inquired, "So then why did you come here to the Gym?"

"Because," the Gym Leader began, raising her head to regard the Gurei girl, "I figured that whoever is doing this might be looking for weak Trainers to pit their Pokemon against. Once they're done their training, they might come here to earn a badge."

The four visitors exchanged glances among each other, silently agreeing on this impeccable logic.

"Who, exactly, has been attacked by this guy?" Shauna asked, more serious than Volan had ever heard her. She didn't even pun. "I mean, is there a specific age group being targeted?"

"Not that I can think of, no," replied Viola. "At first it was only the younger pre-Trainers that were getting attacked, but the more recent victims have all been official Trainers – because they're the only ones brave enough to go out there now, I think."

 _Toby_. Volan's instincts all but screamed the bullying Trainer's name. His fingers curled into fists and his eyes hardened. This was exactly the kind of mischief that his nemesis would instigate.

 _Because he did the exact same thing to you,_ a traitorous voice whispered in the back of his head.

Sensing the change that had come over him, Thrin gripped his arm and needled him with a serious look. _I know who you're thinking of,_ her eyes said silently. _Don't worry, we'll take him down._

"Have these i-incidents been happening for long?" asked Trevor.

Nodding, Viola shifted the camera in her hands. "About a week and a half, that's how long it's been since I first caught wind of it. Why?" the Leader suddenly asked, voice becoming concerned. "You're not thinking of going after this person, are you?"

"Duh!" replied Shauna, brimming with confidence. "We can't let this weepinbully get away with this, right? Otherwise more people will get hurt!"

"Besides, we have an inkling of who might be behind it," Volan added darkly.

"We d-do?" asked Trevor.

Not looking convinced, Viola shook her head. "I don't think that's a very fantastic idea," she worried. "It's my job to get these incidents under control, and you might end up getting hurt as well. This Trainer sounds ruthless."

"Well, so are we," Volan muttered, even more darkly. "Thrin and I have some wickedly-tough Pokemon at our disposal. And on the off-chance we do get beaten, we'll come right back and tell you everything we saw."

About to shake her head again, Viola abruptly paused mid-shake and gave the Gureis an intense, studious stare.

"No way," she murmured. "You're Volantes Gurei, and your sister is Thrin, right? I recognize you from the news footage of the Battle of Vertress years ago!"

"That's us," Thrin confirmed with a wry smile.

"Fantastic," Viola said, awestruck. "Just fantastic!"

They left the Gym soon after that with Viola's permission to go check out Route 23, on the condition that they find her immediately afterward and give her a full report. She would stay at the Gym and wait, in case her suspicions were correct and the perpetrator decided to challenge her with the Pokemon they had been testing against innocents. They made a pit-stop at the Pokemon Center to contact Professor Sycamore, who was only too happy to send over a couple of Pokemon to Volan and Thrin in case they were needed. Once that was done, they headed east.

There was a tough Trainer out there that needed to be cracked.

-.-.-.-.-.

 **Unlike last time, I'm basing Kalos Pokemon Centers more on how they appear in the game, rather than the anime.**

 **While I'm assuming the world of Pokemon is a place where humans are more aware of their actions and much more eco-friendly than those that live on our sad little planet, tragedies still do happen. "Abundove" and "Apparak" are analogous to the Passenger Pigeon and Carolina Parakeet, which both went extinct in the 1900s.**

 **I'd have loved to see a canon Vivillon pattern that looked like a scary Pokemon's face. That would've been really, really cool.**

 **Review, please, my dear readers!**

 ** _Komadori homicida_** **= "homicidal red robin"**

 **Next chapter** **: Rival Arrival**

 **Chapter Question #6: What is your favorite location in Pokemon Sun/Moon?**

 **I really like Aether Paradise. It's an entire facility dedicated to** **cruel experiments on... ahem,** **Pokemon conservation!**

 **-.-.-.-.-.**

 **Volan's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Edgar (Murkrow, male)  
** **Ability: Super Luck  
** **Moves: Peck, Astonish, Pursuit, Haze**

 **Piper (Fletchinder, female)  
** **Ability: Flame Body  
** **Moves: Peck, Quick Attack, Ember, Agility**

 **Thrin's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Akuma (Vivillon, male)  
** **Ability: Shield Dust  
** **Moves: String Shot, Tackle, Gust, Protect**


	12. Rival Arrival

**_Chapter 11 – Rival Arrival_**

 **Last time on "Flight of a Legend"…**

 **After leaving Santalune Forest, Volan, Thrin, and Trevor reunited with Shauna on Route 3, who told them that Calem and Tierno were already ahead of them. They reached Santalune City and successfully registered for the Kalos League at the Pokemon Center, only after briefly butting heads with a foul-tempered nurse's assistant. After that was lunch and investigating the Gym, but the Leader, Viola, didn't want to have a Gym battle until after a mysterious troublemaking Trainer had been brought to justice.**

-.-.-.-.-.

They encountered the first Trainer in distress soon after leaving the city and crossing into Route 23.

He looked to be about fifteen, the usual age for a newbie Trainer, and had dark skin and light blue clothes. He was sitting on a natural ledge at the bottom of a small hill, cradling an unconscious and badly-bruised Marill in his arms.

"What did he or she look like?" Thrin asked, crouching down until she was at eye level with the younger Trainer.

"I-I don't know," he replied uncertainly, close to tears. "Marill and I were beaten so fast, I-I didn't even get a very good look. A-All I know was that they wore all black and used an Inkay."

At this information, Volan frowned. He wasn't familiar with the name of the Pokemon, so he reckoned it was a species native to the Kalos region.

"Get Marill to the Pokemon Center, fast," Thrin recommended, helping the Trainer up. "Those wounds aren't going to heal by themselves."

Hesitantly, Trevor chimed in, "W-Well, t-technically…"

"Not helping," she interrupted flatly.

"S-Sorry," he squeaked.

Once the boy and his Marill had run off in the direction of Santalune, the group continued deeper into the grassy route, ever watchful for suspicious activity. Route 23 was calm and idyllic, but in this case, appearances were almost certainly deceiving. Meeting that Trainer was a stroke of luck – it meant that their target was likely still in the area.

Thrin abruptly stiffened when she felt her backpack wiggling, prompting Volan and their companions to stop and glance at her in concern. But it was only the shiny Froakie, who unzipped the backpack from the inside and poked her head out with a tiny yawn. She must have been sleeping in there for all this time. Her yellow eyes remained vacant as she sleepily regarded her surroundings, giving the impression that she had no idea where they were or what they were doing.

Such ignorant bliss was enviable, in a way.

"Kee," Froakie chirruped, tilting her head to stare at the human girl that carried her.

"Oh, _now_ you're awake," remarked Thrin, smiling.

"Froakie froak," she muttered, withdrawing back into the comfy backpack. " _No I'm not._ "

The younger Gurei laughed, amused by the Water-type's grumpiness at having been woken from her afternoon nap.

"Trevor, can you lend me your Pokedex?" requested Volan. He led them around a bend in the road as he spoke. "I'd like some information about the Pokemon our victim mentioned."

" _Our_ victim?" Shauna addressed his odd choice of words.

" _The_ victim, then," he amended.

He accepted the Pokedex from Trevor with a grateful nod, and pulled on the two halves to activate the holographic screen they generated. Using his finger to swipe across the hologram, he cycled through various images of Pokemon until he came to the entry he needed – a squat, squid-like Pokemon with blue tentacles, a slightly translucent pink body, and blinking yellow lights.

" **Inkay,** " the device stated. " ** _Decapoda nihigravitas_** **. A Dark-and-Psychic-type Revolving Pokemon. A terrestrial cephalopod, Inkay is able to float in the air as if swimming thanks to its powerful psychic abilities. Its psychic powers are exuded through its patches of bioluminescence, which it flashes to daze its foes. It uses these against predators to drain their will to fight, and sometimes against prey to lure them close. Inkay are found in small colonies that communicate with each other through their flashing spots. Possible abilities: Contrary, Suction Cups, or Infiltrator.** "

With a thank-you to Trevor, he passed the 'dex back. Such a foe would be tricky to defeat, and he wasn't sure how exactly to counter a Dark-and-Psychic-type. Could he use Edgar, with his resistance to its attacks – or Piper, with her raw strength and speed?

"This Trainer, whoever he is, sounds really dangerous," Thrin said in a voice saturated with worry. "Volan, do you think it might be Toby?"

"Toby or not Toby, that is the question," Volan replied, not even cracking a smile while Trevor chuckled nervously at his statement.

"If it is, we have nothing to worry about!" grinned Shauna. She was as cheerful as ever, even under this circumstance. "Volan will just beatifly him again and all will be good in the land of Kalos!"

Shuddering at the memory of their first run-in with Toby, Trevor piped up, "B-But remember, he's got some t-tough Pokemon. He used a Raichu, Geodude, and Beartic last time."

He stopped trembling when he caught light glinting off of the surface of a Poke Ball beside him. Thrin had drawn the slightly-worn capsule from her pocket, holding it up to the light as if making a point.

"That's why Volan and I called Professor Sycamore before we left," she told him reassuringly. "We asked him to send us a few Pokemon to back us up in case this Trainer is really something to worry about."

That was enough to get the always-nervous boy to relax, if only a little. They continued deeper into Route 23 in relative silence, keeping their eyes peeled.

Route 23 was a strangely peaceful place. It had grassy fields as well as rocky cliffs, and parts of it were fenced off to prevent Trainers from wandering too far from the main pathways and getting lost in the wilderness. In the distance, cliffs bigger than any other – some with waterfalls cascading down off of them – could be seen looming. That was Victory Road, the final trial for any Trainer strong enough to compete in the yearly Pokemon League.

Volan found himself staring at the distant peaks from time to time. It was so close, and yet so far. Only when they'd achieved victory at the eight Gyms in Kalos, and trekked a full circle around the region, would they at last be able to climb Victory Road. For now, he could only look forward to it.

They ended up running into another Trainer some time later, whose Pokemon was more badly injured than that of the first. She had a Psyduck, which had its head cradled in its flippers even while unconscious. Several of its injuries appeared to be serious, although not life-threatening. Thrin dug in her backpack and found a spare Potion, which she charitably handed to the girl and told her to head for the Pokemon Center as soon as she could.

The mystery Trainer had struck again, it seemed.

"Did you see the wounds around that Pokemon's chest?" Shauna instantly demanded, the second the Trainer was out of earshot. "They looked like they'd been infected with something!"

"P-Poison-type, maybe?" guessed Trevor.

"Toby didn't have a Poison-type when we met him a couple of days ago," mused Thrin. "Maybe we're dealing with someone else. We don't exactly have any evidence pointing toward the contrary, you know."

"He's also been a Trainer longer than we have," Volan pointed out, growling slightly at the mere mention of the despicable individual's name. "It's unlikely that he only has the three we saw at his disposal. So although you have a good point, Thrin, we still can't rule out the possibility."

"I never said we were ruling it out!" she replied. "I was only giving a reminder to keep things in perspective."

"Froooo…" came the low groan from inside her backpack. " _Keep it down…_ "

"Hey, here's a thought," Shauna interrupted what used to be an exclusively brother-sister argument. "Didn't Viola say that these incidents have been happinyng for a while? I'm totally sure Toby lives in Aquacorde. Why else would he have access to the forest around Vaniville?"

That actually made Volan stop and think for a second. Shauna brought up a good point, one that he couldn't easily argue against. Perhaps he was wrong after all. Dang it.

If the Gurei boy was being completely frank with himself, he had really wanted the culprit behind these attacks on younger Trainers to be Toby. It would've felt so good to have an excuse to give him another well-earned beating. In his mind, not even the most selfless of good deeds would make up for what Toby had subjected him to in the past. He would take every opportunity that he was given to rise up against the bully and prove himself better. Such a self-centered fool needed to learn that he was living in a world that wouldn't tolerate such acts of cruelty, and who better to teach him that lesson than the one he had so casually crushed beneath his heel?

But Volan told himself to be careful. If he wasn't, then he may end up slipping over the line and becoming just like Toby, essentially switching places with the tormentor of his past and turning into the one that delighted in seeing his helpless prey squirm at his feet.

 _Arceus, if Thrin or Edgar could hear my thoughts now,_ he laughed to himself. _They'd definitely say I'm being too dramatic._

He'd take pleasure in putting Toby in his place, but he was not going to become as bad as he. That was important.

Spoken words brought Volan out of his thoughts – it was Trevor. "Hey, do you hear that?" he asked. "It sounds like fighting."

Indeed, when the other three stopped walking and listened closely, they could make out the faint sounds of two Pokemon trading blows. They could hear the creatures' cries clearly, even though it felt as though there was a great distance between them.

"Let's go," Thrin said quietly, motioning them forward. "We'll follow the sounds and see if it's the Trainer we're after."

She spoke the suspicions that everyone already had about the brawl in the distance. They moved silently – not because they were trying to be stealthy, but simply because they didn't want their footsteps to cover up the sounds of fighting Pokemon and cause them to lose track. But the closer they walked, the more unlikely such a thing was.

And after speeding around a bend in the road that took them around the slope of a large hill, there they were.

The perpetrator… and the next victim. _Her_ next victim.

"Use Psywave," she ordered, her voice as devoid of emotion as her face was.

"Kay Inkay!" rasped the little Dark-and-Psychic-type that floated before her. It turned upside-down and expelled an undulating wave of purplish energy from its body, striking the opposing Bunnelby and knocking it away like so much trash.

Heartbroken at the way the battle had been stopped so brutally, the loser of the two combatants knelt down to pick his Pokemon up, heedless of any dirt or grass stains that might dirty his pants. The victor patted her Inkay on the head before turning her hard, unforgiving stare down on the person she had just beaten.

"How am I supposed to get stronger by battling weaklings like you?" she growled out, disdainful. "Get lost and take your pathetic Pokemon with you. I've wasted enough time."

The boy was definitely starting to cry as he sprinted away with his Bunnelby cradled in his arms, judging from the muffled sob that could be heard as he passed Volan and those else who had been spectating.

Now that the action was over, Volan was able to get his first good look at the troublemaker. She had short black hair, midnight-blue eyes, pale skin…

…and then it hit him. This was the same girl they had met at the Pokemon Center. Only this time, she looked much more menacing in the absence of her frilly nurse's uniform.

Holding true to Viola's description of her, she wore all black. Her top was a tight long-sleeved shirt, and she wore a matching skirt, loose and wavy and extending about midway down her thighs. Her legs were covered with black stockings, and her feet with a pair of laced, knee-high boots. The only decorations she wore were a spiked collar around her neck and another one around her wrist. With her arms hanging at her sides and her feet planted apart, her posture was defiant as she regarded the group of four with only slight interest.

In a word, she looked like trouble – or rather, the kind of person that stirred it up with no thought about who might suffer for it.

"It's rude to stare," she told them. Her emotionless tone contrasted wildly with the ever-present acidic glare that poured from her dark eyes.

"Alright, who are you really?" Shauna asked, marching a pace or two forward.

"My name is Sera," she replied without hesitation.

The way she gave up her name just like that was enough to elicit visible surprise from Thrin and Trevor. Shauna was too angry to react in the same way, while Volan had to admit that he was quite surprised as well.

"Why are you doing this?" Thrin spoke before Shauna could, in a calmer tone than what the brown-haired girl would use. "These Trainers are younger than you and clearly don't have much experience, and yet you're thrashing them without mercy. So… why?"

Sera studied her for a moment before giving an answer. "I don't have much experience either, Thrin Gurei. I'm training my Pokemon before I set myself on a journey. I need to become powerful if I am to complete my goal, and these… _children_ are the only experience I can get."

In what was close to a shout, Shauna demanded, "Goal? What goal involves attacking people weaker than you?!"

Anger spilled forth from the black-clad young woman in a snarl. "None of your business, _you little shit!_ "

While Shauna – and the rest – were struck dumb from Sera's outburst, only Volan noticed her close her eyes and collect herself. It appeared as though she hadn't meant to explode… as though she was trying to bury all of her anger deep inside.

 _But for what reason?_ He could not help but wonder.

She opened her eyes and was transformed back into one who was neutral-faced and composed. "Battle with me," she ordered. "Any one of you, I don't care which. I want someone that will actually put up a fight."

"Kay!" her Inkay bubbled with agreement.

There was no possible way Volan could let her get away for her abuse of so many new, impressionable Trainers. He was about to step forward, a Poke Ball belonging to one of his Unova team in hand, when he felt an arm pressing against his chest.

The one who held him back so firmly was Thrin.

"I'll handle this," she stated. Although flat, her voice carried an undercurrent of righteous anger. "Whoever she is, wherever she comes from, and whatever reason she has – she can't be allowed to dominate and terrorize impressionable rookie Trainers. I'm putting a _stop_ to it."

Awed by how passionately she stated her intention, Volan stepped aside to let her pass. This version of Thrin… well, bluntly put, he couldn't remember seeing it before.

"Fine then, Thrin Gurei," Sera met her challenge with the tiniest ghost of a smirk. "Someone who fought in the Battle of Vertress must be the formidable opponent I've been hoping for."

The two teenagers stepped forth, leaving enough space on the dirt road for a good-sized battlefield. As they locked eyes with one another and glared, the tension grew so thick that Volan could cut it with a knife.

"I-I'll be the r-referee," volunteered Trevor, shakily assuming a position off to the side of what would be the battlefield. "Um, h-how many P-Pokemon will each participant use?"

"I have two," answered Sera.

"I've got three on me," added Thrin.

Unconsciously, Volan's mind listed off her Pokemon. _Whoever she got from Sycamore, Akuma, and Froakie. But Froakie isn't really hers – or anyone's._

"This w-will be a two-on-two m-match, then," Trevor announced, raising a hand. "Wh-When both Pokemon on either s-side are unable to continue, th-the battle will end. P-Please choose your first Pokemon!"

Instantly, Thrin had a Poke Ball in her palm. "Let's go ahead and win this, Plastron!"

In a burst of blue light, the Carracosta had materialized in front of her, and spread his flippers with a low roar.

"One of the Pokemon you had in Unova, I assume," Sera noted, disgust contaminating her otherwise neutral tone. "Surely you're aware that I don't have anything close to that level. After everything you said about how much you despise what I've been doing, you're turning around and doing the exact same thing?"

Visibly, Thrin faltered. "Oh, is that true? I'm sorry, I didn't know. Plastron, you'll have to go back in the ball."

" _No fight right now?_ " Plastron rumbled, disappointed.

With another apology, Thrin recalled him and put away the capsule. Then she slipped her backpack off of her shoulders, and suddenly Volan knew what she was planning.

"Froakie," she called softly, unzipping the backpack. "Do you mind battling for me just this once? I know you're not my Pokemon, but please?"

The backpack shifted. Volan looked on with mild anxiousness as the sleepy Water-type climbed out and muttered something to Thrin that neither of them, of course, could understand. But after another plea from the Gurei girl, Froakie relented and hopped onto the battlefield, newly alert and ready for some exercise.

But Volan knew what to look for, and – yes, there it was. He caught a spark of interest in Sera's eyes when she saw the shiny Pokemon. If Thrin didn't keep up the illusion of Froakie being hers, Sera would certainly attempt to grab her for herself.

Or maybe she'd attempt it anyway.

"Fascinating," was all she said. "Nigel, you're up again."

The Inkay floated forward, its round eyes sparkling with excitement at the prospect of another victory. Froakie narrowed her eyes at it (him?), losing her unconcerned façade.

Curiously, Volan thought, _So she nicknames her Pokemon as well. Interesting._

"A-Are both combatants ready?" asked Trevor. He turned his head to look at each girl in turn, only to immediately flinch away from Sera as if he feared the mere sight of her would render him blind.

Thrin answered him with a firm, determined nod. Sera didn't even give him that, but as she prepared herself for battle, her already freezing-cold glare hardened significantly.

Holding in a deep breath, Trevor steeled himself and announced, "Then let the battle begin!"

Each Trainer called their orders instantly and simultaneously, Thrin having Froakie use Bubble and Sera having her Inkay use Psywave. The projectile attacks met precisely over the center of the battlefield, white smoke blooming from where they collided.

"Get them, Nigel. Tackle," Sera ordered.

"Inkay ink!" Nigel rasped, inverting his body and flying at Froakie headfirst.

"Dodge using Quick Attack!" called Thrin.

The Bubble Frog Pokemon darted to the side like a bullet of ice, white light streaming behind her. Her color changed to grey at the same time, making it seem like her speed alone had drained the pale blue right out of her skin.

And Sera noticed it, too. She squinted suspiciously, muttering, "Is that what I…?"

"Think it is?" Thrin finished for her. "No idea, and I don't want to know what your thinking is like anyway. Attack now, Froakie!"

The slate-colored frog Pokemon abruptly changed direction and cannoned into Nigel the Inkay right as he stopped his attack in confusion. It took him completely by surprise, judging by the nature of his squeak as he was slammed into the ground.

Only now did some kind of emotion appear on Sera's face. She was grinning with anticipation. "Yes, this is what I wanted!" she said. "A real challenge! Nigel, use Psywave!"

On the sidelines, Volan kept a close eye on her as she turned her head to track her Pokemon's progress. He no longer saw the hard shell of icy anger that covered up the despair of a past betrayal – instead, there was a wild, almost manic kind of glee. He wasn't surprised at all to see that she had changed. As he of all people should know, it was easy to forget everything in the sport of Pokemon battling.

Maybe, he reckoned, Pokemon battling was her way of forgetting whatever haunted her. That would explain her… well, not _massacre_ per se, but the way she relentlessly attacked others regardless of how weak they were in comparison to her. Would it?

In the end, she was still a mystery. That made Volan uneasy.

Worse still… he had this nagging feeling that wouldn't go away. It was almost like… almost like when Reshiram used to talk to him, giving him glimpses of the truth. He got the impression that if the Legendary dragon was still with him, she'd be letting him know that Sera was important in some way.

"Froakie, keep up the offense with Quick Attack!" Thrin shouted as her brother brooded, in an attempt to put additional pressure on her opponent.

But Sera didn't look very pressured at all. "Use Foul Play."

"Kay kay!" rhymed Nigel, spreading his tentacles wide.

When Froakie jumped, flying at incredible speed toward her enemy, the Dark-and-Psychic-type was ready for her. Faster than anyone could blink, he had grabbed Froakie by the hand with reflexes like lightning and spun her around – then let go, using all the momentum Froakie had built up to send her careening into a crater in the dirt.

"Bubble!" commanded Thrin, sensing that Froakie could still go on.

Round, watery projectiles exploded out from the cloud of dust that still hung in the air from the impact, smacking into Nigel one after the other. A pale-blue Froakie emerged from the dust and shook herself off, defiantly standing her ground against the airborne cephalopod.

"Tackle," Sera growled, temper briefly spiking.

 _Now that she's in the heat of battle, she can't control it as well,_ observed Volan. He could tell that Shauna and Trevor knew it, too.

"Catch it with Lick!" Thrin shouted.

The Inkay sped forward, but Froakie shifted her skin to lavender and launched her tongue out of her mouth like a harpoon (only without the pointy part). The flexible appendage wrapped around Nigel as effectively as a rope and slammed him into the ground with a single flex.

Eyes the shade of a midnight sky could not leave Froakie after her color change. To herself, Sera murmured, "So I was right. It was the Protean ability. Your Froakie is full of surprises."

The last bit was deliberately said loudly enough for Thrin to hear, and she smirked in response. "Try this on for size, then! Froakie, he'll be down for a second – use Toxic Spikes!"

Cheeks bulging and skin seamlessly sliding into a brighter shade of purple, Froakie craned her neck as far back as it would go and spat a perfectly circular projectile into the air. The orb sailed upward, toxic violet with a blinding white core, and then split off into smaller fragments that rained down on the field like tiny meteors. When they hit the ground, they seemed to diffuse into the soil without leaving a trace behind.

"What did Froakie just do?" whispered Shauna.

"Toxic Spikes turns the battlefield into a minefield," Volan explained quietly. "If that Inkay touches the ground in the wrong spot, a spike will go off and poison it."

"And what about Froakie?" she asked.

"Ally Pokemon are never affected by Toxic Spikes," he went on. "Before you ask, the answer is no. No-one knows why."

Understandably, Sera didn't look fazed whatsoever by the trap Thrin had laid for her Pokemon beneath their feet. Her Inkay levitated constantly, and furthermore, Volan had reason to suspect that her second Pokemon was a Poison-type. There was no need for her to fear a potential poisoning.

"Quick Attack!" Thrin called.

"Froakie kee!" chirped Froakie, and bounded forward.

Sera's only response was a muttered, "Reflect."

With a powerful flex of her back legs, Froakie was on a sure collision course with Nigel when a nearly-transparent psychic barrier tinged with blue shimmered into existence around him. Froakie hit the barrier and bounced off, striking the ground hard on her back.

"Now Psywave," Sera commanded.

"Inkay!" affirmed the Revolving Pokemon, flipping upside-down and firing the same wavy beam that the group had seen defeat the earlier Trainer's Bunnelby.

Froakie was just getting to her feet when the Psychic-type move struck the ground directly in front of her, flinging her the short distance between her and Thrin. Fortunately, Froakie bounced off the ground on her ruff of frubbles, which cushioned the impact and allowed her to safely spring to her feet.

"Good work!" Thrin praised, which made Froakie blush slightly. "Now use Bubble! It won't be affected by that Reflect!"

Nodding in understanding, Froakie turned back to her normal ice-blue and spewed a stream of bubbles at Nigel. This time, though, he was ready. On his mistress' orders, he fired another Psywave that pushed against the bubbles until both attacks exploded into white smoke.

"Keeee…" Froakie growled in frustration.

"They've got us in a corner, haven't they?" Thrin murmured to herself, similarly frustrated. "Reflect will repel Lick and Quick Attack, and she'll only keep using Psywave to block Bubble…"

She paused just then, an idea popping into her head. Maybe it would work and maybe it wouldn't, but she needed to get that Reflect shield to wear off.

"Bubble, again!" she shouted.

"Frrrrroakie!" the shiny Pokemon cried, launching more bubbles.

Rolling her eyes beneath her bangs, Sera ordered, "Another Psywave."

"Kay Inkay!" Nigel chirped, and fired another undulating wave to interrupt the attack.

Now it was time for the next phase of Thrin's plan. "Use Quick Attack to run around, and use Bubble as often as you can!"

Froakie blasted off, darting this way and that across the battlefield while Nigel remained floating in place, trying to keep track of Froakie's movements. Occasionally the blur of grey would turn blue for a split second and launch a Bubble or two, before shifting back to grey and continuing the Quick Attack marathon. Then more Bubbles would come, and the cycle would repeat.

"Defend yourself!" snarled Sera, anger spiking to the surface again. "She's stalling for something!"

The Dark-and-Psychic-type turned this way and that, meeting each Bubble that came his way with a quick Psywave. As Froakie continued to run circles around him, however, it became clear that he could not keep it up for much longer, as his reaction time became significantly slower and several Bubble attacks came very close to striking him. On the other hand, Froakie seemed to be tiring as well.

Thrin saw this and called out, "Alright, that's enough! Stop and use Lick!"

Skidding to a halt, Froakie whipped out her tongue with the intention of striking Nigel as hard as she could. However, the appendage smacked uselessly against the blue Reflect barrier, which shimmered into visibility as soon as Froakie's attack got close to hitting its conjurer.

"Get rid of it with Foul Play!" Sera ordered.

Quick as a striking Servine, Nigel grabbed hold of Froakie's tongue with his tentacles and swung the Ghost-type in a wide circle. After three spins, he flipped over and slammed Froakie harshly into the dirt, plowing another crater into the field's otherwise unmarked surface. Her tongue slithered over the ground of its own accord, going back into its owner's mouth. When the dust cleared, it was revealed that Froakie had actually been knocked out by the critical blow.

"F-Froakie is unable to battle!" announced Trevor, as per his job as referee. "The victory goes to N-Nigel the Inkay!"

Mouth set in a hard line, Thrin walked over to where Froakie lay and gently picked up the frog Pokemon in her arms. When she got back to her original position, she opened up her backpack and let Froakie rest comfortably inside, with the zipper left slightly open so she could breathe.

"Thanks, Froakie," Thrin whispered to the semi-closed backpack. "I'll take you to the Pokemon Center as soon as I can, but rest for now."

She turned to Volan, uncertainty flitting across her expression, but he smiled and gave her a thumbs-up. His sister had battled well, and surely Froakie would recognize that. He was certain that the wild Pokemon hadn't minded aiding her.

An almost invisible yet sinister smirk was present on Sera's face as she crossed her arms over her chest. "One down and one to go," she commented, dark satisfaction bubbling just under her overall neutral tone. "And here I thought you'd be tougher, for someone who fought so well just two years ago."

"Hey, I haven't gone rusty just yet!" Thrin smirked back. Volan was pleased to see that she wasn't taking Sera's taunts badly, responding with the usual good-natured banter. "I've still got one Pokemon left, and he's going to fly circles around you! Akuma, let's win it!"

With a burst of blue light, the elegant-patterned Vivillon flew free, soaring gracefully upwards until he was hovering at Nigel's level.

"Tackle!" Sera commanded.

"Gust!" retorted Thrin.

Nigel charged forward, the point of his head aimed at Akuma's midsection, but he only got halfway across the field before a gale-force wind hurled him backwards with hardly any effort. He spun end over end, unable to control himself in the fierce gust.

"Now Tackle 'im!" the Gurei girl yelled, punching the air before her.

"Vi-veeeeeee!" Akuma shrilled. He folded his wings back and dive-bombed the unfortunate Inkay, driving him straight into the ground as he had done with Froakie only a short time ago.

When the dust had settled, Akuma flew off from the crash site while Nigel lay there in a daze.

Trevor's hand came up to judge the match's outcome. "Ink– I-I mean, Nigel is unable to battle! The victor is Akuma the Vivillon!"

Withdrawing a Poke Ball from her belt, Sera returned Nigel safely to the capsule and smoothly replaced it with another. "You may have beaten Nigel, but there's no way you can stand up to this Pokemon," she stated flatly. "We've been a team for years, and his ferocity eclipses my own. Ravage them, Skroop!"

The Pokemon materialized in a burst of light – a Skorupi. The little arachnid had a pair of razor-sharp chelicerae and electric-blue eyes, topped off by two long claws on either side of its head. Its stubby legs held it off the ground while it supported a long tail with a deadly pincer on the end. However, its most unusual feature was its color – a deep, dark crimson, almost like blood.

"Volan, aren't Skorupi normally purple?" Trevor called over.

"It must be another shiny, then," Volan concluded. "Not even two days into our journey and this is the second we've seen."

"Well," Shauna began cautiously, "I think I remember reading that shiny Pokemon are slightly more cascommon in Kalos than other regions… because of some kind of disastoraid in the distant past, or something."

Meanwhile, Thrin studied her new opponent with caution. That tail pincer was something she didn't want anywhere near Akuma's delicate wings, and she _really_ didn't like the way it was eyeballing her. Its legs tapped the ground one at a time with barely-contained impatience, like it was that desperate to rend something with its claws.

 _Like Pokemon, like Trainer, I suppose,_ she mused. Sera herself wasn't exactly a ray of sunshine either.

Before Trevor could announce the start of the final match, Sera shouted, "Begin with Pin Missile, Skroop!"

"Rupi!" the Scorpion Pokemon cried, and snapped its tail forward to deliver a flurry of glowing green rockets to Akuma's chest and wings.

Startled by the suddenness of the attack, Thrin yelled, "Use String Shot, Akuma!"

Twirling higher into the air, Akuma's wings sparkled in the light as they became more exposed to the sun. But instead of spitting his sticky silk, he released a cloud of brilliant green powder that slowly descended upon the battlefield.

"That was Sleep Powder!" she realized. "Akuma, you learned a new move!"

"So what?" Sera shot back. "Skroop, blow it away with Iron Tail!"

Tail suddenly gaining a gleaming silvery sheen, Skroop spun around in a circle to more powerfully lash the appendage. The action served sufficient enough to dispel the sedative dust in a single swing.

"Good boy, Skroopie," Sera cooed. The sweet tone sounded so alien coming from her mouth that it made Thrin's skin crawl. "Now, Acupressure!"

"Skoru…" Skroop muttered, squeezing his eyes shut and tensing his entire body. His tail pincer suddenly came down and squeezed the back of his neck, seemingly stimulating a pressure point and producing a red aura that flared up around his body.

"Akuma, Tackle!" shouted Thrin.

"Veon!" the Bug-and-Flying-type cried. " _On it!_ "

Just as he had done to Nigel, Akuma folded his wings and dove down upon his opponent, slicing through the air and ramming the Skorupi right in the head. Skroop flipped over, hissing in pain, and then brought himself to a skidding halt by landing feet-first when he would have next hit the ground.

"Now, time for Gust!" Thrin added.

But, although Skroop was hit dead-on by the tearing winds Akuma sent at him, he remained rooted to the ground and didn't budge an inch. It looked like he had still sustained some damage, but there was no other response.

"Must've had its special defense raised by that Acupressure," muttered Thrin. She now remembered that Acupressure gave a huge boost, but to a stat chosen totally at random.

"Pin Missile!" Sera growled.

More glowing green needles, each followed by an emerald trail of light as they swooped and swerved around each other, were launched from the end of Skroop's tail. On Thrin's command, Akuma managed to dodge every last one of them with only a few close calls that put beads of sweat on Thrin's brow.

"Get in close and use Tackle!" she ordered.

"Iron Tail," Sera retorted.

Akuma dove a third time, but the Skorupi swung his gleaming tail in a powerful arc that missed him by a hair. The Vivillon backed off instinctively, shock flashing across his face.

"Bite," added Sera. Now it was she who was piling on the pressure.

"Skor Skorupi!" hissed Skroop. He pounced on Akuma, who was too close to dodge, and clamped his jaws painfully on Akuma's head.

Hearing her Pokemon's squeak of pain, Thrin threw her arm out and yelled, "Spin and use Gust to shake it off!"

"Viiiiii-veon!" Akuma shrilled. " _Get OFF of me!"_

Twirling around violently, Akuma summoned a horrendous wind that swept across the battlefield. It was powerful enough to almost topple both Thrin and Sera, who planted their feet apart to better hold their ground while covering their faces protectively. Volan, Trevor, and Shauna had to hold on as well, lest they were blown off their feet. The Gust did the trick, though, and a thoroughly dizzy Skroop came flying off Akuma's head to land beside his mistress.

It was Sera's turn to call a move. "Skroop, into the air and use Bite!"

Once the wind stopped, the red Poison-and-Bug-type raised his tail further above his head, then suddenly slammed it down and used it to catapult himself at Akuma. "Skooooo-RUPI!"

"Protect!" Thrin yelled urgently.

Using his wings as a shield, Akuma projected a blue-green barrier that the Skorupi smashed harmlessly into. Well, harmlessly from Akuma's point of view – certainly not from Skroop's, as he landed on his stomach and immediately commenced clutching his head in pain.

"Next use Gust!" Thrin added.

The Vivillon dropped the shield and flared his wings out in unison, producing a wave of wind that swept over the battlefield with enough force to tear grass out of the earth. Although Skroop didn't go flying end-over-end as Thrin had hoped, the way the wind audibly slammed into him made it clear that it had done damage.

Scowling, Sera ordered, "Acupressure."

Her spoken command seemed to give her Pokemon the strength he needed to overcome his headache. Once his tail came down and pinched the back of his neck, raising another of his stats, he rose up and hissed aggressively. He seemed completely unfazed by his face-plant into Akuma's Protect.

"Akuma, use Tackle!" Thrin shouted.

"Iron Tail!" Sera snarled back.

Both Pokemon moved at the same time, resulting in a clash between the Vivillon's head and the Skorupi's tail. After a moment of struggling for dominance, Skroop flung his opponent away with a final, powerful push.

Sera was relentless in her growing anger. "Pin Missile! Then Bite!"

"Protect and then Gust!" responded Thrin. She had an idea in mind – maybe she could turn those two attacks into a combo, like what Volan liked to do with his Pokemon. It was something worth considering…

With a noise that went *BADA-BADA-BANG*, the multitude of Pin Missiles fired at Akuma's shield detonated without causing him any harm. He swung his wings back open with a howl of raging wind, but Skroop had vanished! Confused, Akuma looked around for his ground-bound fellow Bug-type in befuddlement, only to get the shock of his life when Skroop sprang up from behind and clamped his jaws down on the purple Vivillon's abdomen.

 _Sera used Pin Missile as a cover!_ Thrin realized, dumbfounded. _While I was focused on the light show up above, that Skorupi moved around to get Akuma from behind so it wouldn't get hit with Gust!_

"Shake it free again!" she cried. "Remember, just like last time!"

Everyone was already bracing themselves when the powerful winds came surging from Akuma's body in his desperation to shake off his clinging enemy. Skroop came free much more easily than before, flying high into the sky with one last spin.

Shouting up to the surprised Scorpion Pokemon, Sera commanded, "Iron Tail, on the way down!"

"SKORRRR!" Skroop shrieked, doing a frontal flip to build momentum and bearing down upon Akuma with his steely tail.

The gravity-aided attack smashed into Akuma's back and drove them both to a crushing impact with the ground, sending a blooming wave of dust rushing outwards to cover the entire battlefield. Coughing, Thrin struggled to see through the obscuring wall, but once it had settled, she regretted it.

The Skorupi was backing out of a small crater, angrily eyeing at what lay in the center. It was Akuma, his wings slightly crumpled and his legs twitching occasionally.

It was Trevor who made it official. "A-Akuma is unable to b-battle! The winner of this battle i-is S-Sera!"

Immediately, a red light lanced from Sera's Poke Ball to reclaim Skroop. Moments later, another beam touched Akuma and drew him safely inside his own. Now that the battle had concluded, the two girls stood across from each other, waiting for someone to back down.

That someone was Sera, who walked straight past Thrin without giving her even a passing glance. Then, she stopped, drawing a breath meant to help her emotions settle back down beneath the surface. Once she was calm again, she turned her head just enough for her dark eye to needle Thrin with its steely glare. Light glinted off of the spikes on her collar as she did so.

"Get some new Pokemon," she said. The sentence came out sounding almost like an order. "You're a pathetic Trainer and you couldn't battle to save your own life."

She turned away and walked back toward Santalune, disappearing behind the nearest hill.

Thrin snapped.

"Can you _believe_ that… that _bitch_?!" she roared, scaring Trevor and Shauna stiff. "Oh, now I'm MAD! I'm going to get her back for that if it's the LAST THING I DO!"

Gently, Volan placed a placating hand on his sister's shoulder, feeling her tremble with rage and nodding silently with understanding. The gesture calmed her ever so slightly, letting her know that Volan empathized with and understood her boiling fury – letting her know that somewhere out there, there was an imbecile with pea-colored hair that once made him feel exactly the same way.

 _How wonderful,_ he allowed a modicum of sarcasm to tinge his thoughts. _Today, a bitter rivalry was born._

-.-.-.-.-.

 **After all this time, Thrin has her own rival. Don't be fooled by her calm demeanor, because she'll blow up violently without warning. Meet the callous and intimidating Sera, one of the many reasons why this fic may eventually be bumped to an M-rating.**

 **Sera is a character that I've been developing for a looooong time. I originally introduced her in another story of mine, a Monster Hunter fic called "Metamorphosis: Seven Sins". I've actually got a rather crude drawing of her somewhere on my DeviantArt account – my user is Cm25 if you're interested. (Keep in mind that her caricature comes with wings and a tail. Ignore those.)**

 **When I next see you, the siblings will be meeting back up with Calem and Tierno, as well as training for their first Gym battle! Stay tuned!**

 ** _Decapoda nihigravitas_** **= "ten feet with no gravity"**

 **Next chapter** **: Pre-Gym Training**

 **Chapter Question #7: Who's your favorite rival in the Pokemon games?**

 **Hugh and Hau are tied for mine. The first for his backstory and loyalty, the second for his I-can-never-win-but-it's-all-good-because-I'm-too-chill-to-care attitude.**

 **-.-.-.-.-.**

 **Volan's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Edgar (Murkrow, male)  
** **Ability: Super Luck  
** **Moves: Peck, Astonish, Pursuit, Haze**

 **Piper (Fletchinder, female)  
** **Ability: Flame Body  
** **Moves: Peck, Quick Attack, Ember, Agility**

 **Thrin's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Akuma (Vivillon, male)  
** **Ability: Shield Dust  
** **Moves: Sleep Powder, Tackle, Gust, Protect**


	13. Pre-Gym Training

**_Chapter 12 – Pre-Gym Training_**

 **Last time on "Flight of a Legend"…**

 **Upon going to search for the troublemaking Trainer that Viola told them about, Volan and Co. came across several other Trainers that had been recently defeated, which led them right to the culprit. The perpetrator, a menacing girl named Sera, stated that her goal was to train as much as possible and become as strong as possible before she started her journey. She battled Thrin, using her Inkay and Skorupi to defeat Froakie and Akuma, and then spat in the Gurei girl's face for her loss. Thrin swore she'd pay Sera back even if it killed her.**

-.-.-.-.-.

Volan had never seen his sister so motivated… or angry.

Her most recent loss against her new rival, Sera, had lit a fire in her heart that freaked even Volan out. Thrin was a very spirited individual, and that was one of the many things he loved about her, but this was on a level he had never suspected even existed.

Then again, it was quite similar to how he had once acted towards his first rival, Trip (oh, how that son of a Bisharp riled him up). Although, he liked to imagine that he was a little bit more reserved with his anger when it came to that one. Toby, on the other hand, tempted his ire out like no other.

He glanced out the window of the Pokemon Center, where he was waiting for a video-phone to become available. They were currently all in use, one of them by a Trainer that Volan recognized as one of those who had been victimized by Sera, which made him realize just why the Pokemon Center was so busy. That girl was borderline obsessive about her goal, now that he saw all this evidence in the form of people waiting for their injured Pokemon to come out of the emergency room.

The window provided Volan with a great view of the Pokemon Center's outdoor battlefield. There was Akuma wheeling through the sky, dodging Embers from Trevor's Charmander. Froakie was sitting at Thrin's heels, watching. Volan peered through the glass at the heated battle for a few moments more, and – yep, there it was, the new combo. He saw Akuma curl up and use Protect to block an Ember, then open his wings with a Gust that roared across the field. It was a cool strategy, and he was impressed that Thrin was able to pull it off with a low-leveled Pokemon. When he had come up with combination attacks during his Unova League training, his team had all been high-leveled.

He thought she was calling it 'Wing Shield' or something like that. Pretty cool.

A glance back over at the video-phones revealed that there was now a vacancy. Without further delay, Volan got out of his seat and hustled over before someone else could take his spot. He was impatient because the person he wished to call was Professor Sycamore – there were several things he needed to talk to him about, and while none of them were especially urgent, he figured the sooner he did so, the better.

After a few short seconds of digging in his pocket for change, Volan retrieve coin to slot into the video-phone. The Poke-dollar – shortened to 'P' for the vast majority of people – was the currency of choice for pretty much every region in the known world. While Pokemon Centers were totally free to use, goods such as Potions and Ice Heals cost small amounts of money. Luckily, if a Trainer was able to raise his or her Pokemon well enough, they could compete in tournaments and win the earnings necessary to sustain themselves and their team throughout their travels.

Volan had heard that, in the old days, a Trainer's primary source of income would be the money they took from other Trainers after beating them in battle. Such barbarianism.

The thoughts trailed off when the video-phone's screen blinked to life, displaying a picture of the good professor on the other end of the connection. "Volan!" he greeted with delight. "Always a pleasure to see you, young man. How did the fight against that troublemaker go?"

"I didn't actually need Rudy at all – Thrin did all the fighting," Volan admitted. "I'm going to send him back, although he's disappointed he didn't get to see any action."

"Well, good for her," replied Sycamore, nodding. "I assume she'll be calling me to return her Carracosta soon?"

"Probably," Volan agreed. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."

Professor Sycamore laughed. "No, no, not at all! I'm always delighted to hear from Emily's boy. Speaking of which, you're mother's doing well, if you were thinking of asking. Such a hard worker she is. Maybe I'll give her another raise…"

"If you spoil her too much, she's never going to want to come home," Volan said with a grin.

"Maybe that's the idea," Sycamore joked back.

The two of them shared a laugh at that. From Volan's point of view, Sycamore was such a _great_ guy – so easy to get along with and very generous. No wonder the ladies loved him.

… Including Thrin, much to Volan's puzzlement. And he thought he knew her so well…

They got Rudy transferred back to the lab in no time flat, after Volan gave the Krookodile a farewell and apologized again for getting his hopes up. Once that was done, Volan confessed, "The truth is, I was hoping that the Trainer we needed to take care of was Rudy's old Trainer. We met him a few days ago and even though he's doing his best to keep it to himself, I can tell that Rudy's been dying for a rematch."

"Ah, competition," chuckled Sycamore. "Nothing gets a young Trainer motivated quite like a friendly rivalry."

 _It's not friendly in the least,_ Volan thought, but didn't pursue the matter any further.

Instead, he changed the subject. "There's something I wanted to tell you about. In Santalune Forest, Thrin and I encountered a shiny Froakie."

Predictably, Professor Sycamore wanted to know everything. So Volan obliged him, going on about how they met up with the strange and rare Pokemon and came to a temporary alliance, while leaving out the bits about Team Flare. Somehow, Volan thought that it'd be best if he didn't mention them.

"I see," mused Professor Sycamore, his voice coming out slightly distorted through the speakers. "You said the Froakie has no Trainer?"

"Almost certainly," Volan replied. "We agreed that we'd give her the benefit of the doubt and assume she was simply lost, but… if she does have a Trainer, she's been oddly relaxed about it. She spends most of her time chilling in Thrin's backpack and doesn't seem worried at all. I think there's a high chance that she's a wild Pokemon."

The professor stroked his chin, deep in thought. "How odd…" he murmured, just loudly enough for Volan to hear. "I distinctly remember giving a shiny Froakie out to a new Trainer some years back… but I can't be sure if it's the same one…"

He looked back up at Volan. "If it isn't too much trouble, could you bring this Froakie to my lab in Lumiose City when you get there?"

"Absolutely," the Gurei boy confirmed.

"You know, it's entirely possible that this Froakie abandoned her Trainer," Sycamore offered. "Every professor in every region always has one species that's more independent and prone to running away from Trainers they don't like. Here, it's the Froakie that cause problems – Treecko in Hoenn and Snivy in Unova are the same, and a close friend of mine has told me similar stories of a Pokemon called Litten."

Shaking his head, Volan responded, "I can't personally confirm that. My friend Bianca was always close with her Snivy… and I've never even heard of the other two."

"Understandable, as both are very rare," the professor conceded. "You should consult your Pokedex for information. They're fascinating Pokemon."

With a scoff, Volan replied, "If it even has the information. It has nothing about Pokemon from Kalos or… what's the archipelago region called? Aloha?"

"Alola," Sycamore corrected. "No, it probably wouldn't. The Unovan Pokedex model wasn't updated until sometime last year. Tell you what, I can reserve a couple of Kalos Pokedexes for you and your sister when you drop by with that interesting Froakie."

"You don't have to…" Volan started.

"Consider it as me repaying a debt," Sycamore smiled. "You'd be doing me a huge favor by bringing Froakie along for me to examine. And of course, your mother has been a marvelous asset in the lab these past two years…"

Unable to keep the grin off of his face, Volan commented, "So all the favors you have done and will ever do for me are just part of an elaborate scheme to keep Mom working for you. I see how it is."

They exchanged a few more remarks, and then Volan decided it was time for him to go. He thanked Professor Sycamore for his time and gave him a promise that they'd meet again in person sometime in the next few days. With that, he switched off the video phone and hustled outside.

He reached the battlefield out in the back right on time to see the end of Thrin and Trevor's training session. Of course, the battlefield was a standard one – around a dozen meters across, with white lines painted around the borders and through the center. Trevor's Charmander knocked Akuma out of the sky with a well-placed Scratch attack. Thrin called for a time out and raced forward to catch the falling butterfly.

"You still feeling okay after that?" she asked in concern.

The Vivillon fluttered his purple wings and whimpered something to her in Pokemon-speak. He was weak, but otherwise fine. On the other side of the battlefield, Trevor met with Charmander and congratulated him for his fine work in that training session. Sensing that someone else had stepped onto the field, he raised his head and regarded Volan with a gaze brimming with excitement.

"I really think Charmander and I are getting good at this!" he said ecstatically. "We're ready to start working on a new move – Metal Claw!"

Thrin joined in, running over to her brother with Akuma still cradled protectively in her arms. "We might've gotten more bruised up during that session, but Akuma's well on his way to perfecting Struggle Bug, exactly as we planned it! It'll give him a good Bug-type offensive option in battle!"

"Vi-viiiii-veon!" he agreed.

Volan smiled for both of them – Thrin and Trevor, that was. He was glad they were working on enhancing the strength of their respective Pokemon. Looking around, he spied the shiny Froakie relaxing against the wall of the Pokemon Center nearby, but someone was missing.

"Where's Shauna?" Volan inquired, frowning uncertainly.

"She said she was leaving to go find Calem, Serena, and Tierno," answered Thrin, lifting her shoulders with a shrug. "She thinks they're likely to be still in the city. Even though they're ahead of us, they couldn't have eaten, gotten badges, and left for Route 4 already, right?"

He nodded to show that he agreed with her. He opened his mouth to say something else, only to stop himself when he heard a group of footsteps approaching, too many to be coming from a single person. When he turned around to investigate, he was in time to see a familiar tanned girl wearing pink stride around the corner of the building with three others in tow.

"Speak of Arceus," Thrin said, grinning.

"Look who I found!" Shauna called delightedly.

The only other girl in the group, Serena, immediately rushed over to envelop Trevor in a light hug. "We haven't seen you since we parted ways in Santalune Forest," she greeted him, giving a friendly smile. "How've you been, good? Are you doing well with Volan and Thrin?"

Laughing a bit, Trevor carefully took her arms away from his body and replied, "I'm fine, I'm fine! You know you're not my mom, Serena."

"Yes, but we're all looking out for you, Trevs!" Tierno chimed in, shooting finger guns at his best pal. "Older Trainers gotta keep an eye on the younger ones, yo? That's just how the world works!"

"B-But we all started at the same time!" protested Trevor. His nervousness came back, stammering and turning red now that he was the center of the attention.

"That's just what friends do, isn't it?" Serena flashed him a dazzling smile.

Trevor only blushed harder and ducked his head, edging away shyly as if that would deflect the attention from him.

"Actually, Shauna found us right as we were heading to the Gym," Calem informed the rest. He brushed his sleek black hair out of his face and went on, "We decided that checking up on our friends was more important, though. Are Shauna and Trevor doing well with their Pokemon?"

"Trevor was a lot of help in Santalune Forest," Thrin offered, making Trevor turn red again. "Shauna only joined with us on Route 3 this morning, but I'm sure she's making progress too."

Indignantly, Shauna stamped her foot and said, "Um, I'm right here, you know! You could try asking _me_ next time, big brother!"

Calem sheepishly apologized and patted her shoulder in a supporting gesture. The two of them might have had contrasting personalities, a several-inch height difference, and wildly different styles, but they were near inseparable all the same. It warmed Volan's heart whenever he saw their bond, much like the one between him and Thrin.

"Are you done with the battlefield?" he asked, addressing his sister. "I'd like to train with Edgar and Piper for the Gym."

"Knock yourself out," she replied, stepping aside while gesturing grandly to the waiting field.

"Ooh, let me be your opponent!" volunteered Tierno. He did a series of quick dance moves, too pumped up to sit still for more than an instant. "Squirtle and I have got some more groovin' to do, and my newest partner needs to be trained some, too!"

Both of them – one tall and thin, and the other very broad – took their positions at either end of the battlefield. Volan unclipped two Poke Balls from his belt, while Tierno did the same.

Briefly, Volan allowed himself to reflect on the useful nature of this particular belt. He had gotten it for his last birthday, and it was incredibly convenient. His Poke Balls just clipped right onto the special magnetic clamps on the side, much better than digging around in a pocket until he found the right one. Apparently this was standard gear, which was news to him. It would've been _great_ if someone had bothered to inform him of this two years ago.

"Time to do some training!" he called, hurling the spheres upwards to release their waiting occupants.

" _Yo, Boss,_ " greeted Edgar. He settled down on the ground and began to pick at his wing feathers. " _We doin' dis Gym ting?_ "

The Gurei boy corrected the Murkrow by letting him know they were simply preparing for the Gym right now. He wanted to get to know Piper better – what she could do, how she normally battled, that kind of thing – and also wanted to get Edgar to learn a new move.

"Now for my Pokemon!" announced Tierno, doing a swift spin and then a series of rhythmic steps. "Squirtle and Lotad, it's time to dance!"

The first Pokemon, his Squirtle, popped out of the ball with a wide smile and immediately began to mimic Tierno's dance steps. Volan could do nothing but look on in wonder at how in sync the two of them were after only a couple of days. The second Pokemon was _much_ less energetic – it was a Lotad, basically a very squat blue thing with a Psyduck-like bill and a giant flat leaf on its head.

"Lo," it said, staring straight ahead with the most vacant eyes Volan had ever seen on a Pokemon.

Now that all of the Pokemon were ready to go, Volan explained his plan to Edgar and Piper. "Alright, you two, show me what you can do. Both of you go straight in and try to hit the other Pokemon with Peck. I'm going to ask Tierno to try and keep you away with ranged moves."

"Fletchiiiiiin-dah," Piper trilled, disappointed. " _Is that it? I thought we were training._ "

" _We's just warmin' up, first,_ " Edgar told her. " _Yer new, so the boss wants ta get used to ya before he ramps up the strenuosity._ "

"Fletch," she replied flatly. " _That's not a word._ "

When Volan gave the order, though, they stopped their bickering and flew into the air. Their beaks glowed as they prepared to use Peck on Lotad and Squirtle, but the duo of Water-types didn't make it easy for them. They both opened their mouths and used Bubble, sending spherical water projectiles flying everywhere. Edgar weaved his way through Squirtle's barrage at first, but when he got too close, he had to cancel his attack and back away. Piper's natural agility and compact, streamlined form helped her fare better when dodging Lotad's projectiles, but the fleeing Murkrow passed her by and knocked her off balance accidentally.

She got a Bubble to the face and dropped to the ground with soggy feathers.

"Fleeeeetchindaaaah!" she squawked angrily. " _What was that all about, you shifty-eyed feather duster?_ "

Raising his wings, Edgar protested indignantly, " _Ay ay, dat's quite the derogatory term. We prefer to be referred to as unscrupulous corvids._ "

Hearing all he needed to know from the Dark-and-Flying-type's side of the conversation, Volan stepped in to settle things. "He didn't mean it, Piper," he explained. "This is your first time working as part of a team of Pokemon, so just loosen up on him. He didn't mean to throw you off like that."

Grunting, Piper beat her wings to get the excess water out and mumbled a reluctant apology to her teammate.

That having been settled, Volan continued, "Once you two can get used to each other and prove you can use your basic attacks against Squirtle and Lotad, we can start doing the serious training. Edgar, I'm going to help teach you a new move, and Piper, we're going to keep improving on what you can already do. Sound like a plan?"

" _C'mon,_ " Edgar added, giving Piper a rousing pat on the back. " _We keeps tryin' and we's gonna get better. I'll work wit yer combustible temperament if youse can work wit my spontaneity._ "

Cocking her head, Piper observed, "Fletch chindah Fletchindah. _You've got a way with big words for a ruffian._ "

He nodded. " _Ay, beneath dese black feathers, I've got deeper layers. Y'know what I mean?_ "

Seeing that his Pokemon appeared to be more or less on the same page now, Volan clapped his hands for attention and asked them to try again. Once more, Tierno ordered a steam of Bubbles from Squirtle and Lotad, and this time there was no incident. Even when Edgar was forced to turn away when he got close to Squirtle, Piper managed to stay focused and landed a light hit on Lotad's broad leaf.

"Lo," was all it said.

After a few more tries, Edgar finally managed to strike Squirtle with a powerful Peck after flying through the bubbles. In the time it took him to do that, Piper struck Lotad several more times, enough so that Tierno had to call the Water-and-Grass-type back for a dose of Potion. It appeared as though she was more naturally inclined for speed and agility, while Edgar was physically stronger.

Mentally, Volan noted these differences down. As he did, Edgar touched down and exchanged a few congratulatory wing-slaps with Piper. They definitely appeared to be much more appreciative of each other, which meant their teamwork could only improve from there.

"Good job, both of you!" Volan called to them, kneeling down so he could more directly address them. "Now that we've got that out of the way, we'll ramp up the difficulty and have the two of you battle Tierno's Pokemon so that I can see what you need to improve on before we take on the Gym."

"Chindaaaah~," sang Piper. " _Sounds good._ "

" _Ready when you are, Boss,_ " Edgar added.

Having overheard what Volan was saying, Tierno went ahead and told his Pokemon to get ready for a double battle against the Gurei boy's birds. Squirtle replied enthusiastically and spun around on his shell to get into the battling groove, while Lotad sat there and blinked.

"Prepare to face what's going to be the best Pokemon dance team in all of Kalos!" Tierno crowed to Volan.

Squirtle was already demonstrating how his skills would make him part of that team, by moonwalking into a position next to Lotad before flipping over and landing on one hand. Lotad shuffled its stubby feet a little, perhaps the most remarkable attempt at a dance its species had ever accomplished.

With Shauna acting as their judge this time, the mock battle began. It wasn't really a true battle, since the goal wasn't to make the enemy Pokemon faint, but instead to assess their strengths and weaknesses in combat and to work toward correcting anything that needed to be improved. Volan's first strategy was to have Edgar envelop the battlefield in a thick Haze. While Squirtle and Lotad had trouble seeing through the foggy blackness, the Murkrow and Fletchinder were relatively unburdened. Neither of them had the Keen Eye ability, but their eyesight was nonetheless better than most even in conditions like Haze. They used the cover to strike Tierno's Pokemon, scoring successful blows more often than not.

Once Tierno had gotten Lotad to shout loud enough with Astonish to dispel the Haze, the battle became less one-sided. Now was Volan's chance to truly see where Edgar and Piper needed to improve. The former's worst flaw was that he was a lot sloppier than Piper when it came to repeatedly dodging attacks – a Bubble barrage proved that he could only last about a few seconds before making a mistake and getting hit, whereas Piper could use Agility to boost her, well, agility. _Her_ major flaw, besides weakness to Water-type moves in this particular instance, was something that couldn't be improved through training – her frailty. She couldn't take hits as well as Edgar could.

What could be worked on, though, was the slight pause between when Volan called an order and when she executed it. Most Pokemon, he recalled, didn't have that problem. It was possible that Piper was simply more independent by nature, and less naturally-inclined to obey a Trainer's orders.

The closer Volan got to her, though, he was confident that she'd learn to act upon his commands as naturally as any other Pokemon. As well, he couldn't forget his ability to understand Pokemon that he formed a bond with, which would surely kick in once he and Piper had grown closer.

"Whew!" Tierno gasped, sitting down hard on the ground once their training session had come to a close. He tiredly wiped sweat from his brow and exclaimed, "I haven't worked myself up like that in a long time. I'm exhausted, yo!"

"You think you're ready for the Gym?" asked Calem, cocking an eyebrow.

"Ready? I was born ready!" he exclaimed, hopping right back onto his feet. "The unbeatable dance team of Squirtle, Lotad, and I are going to move and groove our way to victory at the Santalune Gym!"

 _Wow, that certainly didn't last long,_ Volan thought, and he could tell Thrin was thinking the same thing. _Not even Stephan could bounce back that fast._

"Slow down," laughed Trevor. "You're too energetic for your own good."

"Hey, when I get excited, I just have to get movin', Trevs old buddy!" he laughed back, doing a spin and clapping his shorter friend on the back, causing Trevor to stumble.

"Sometimes I wonder how you two are best friends," Thrin said sardonically, cracking a grin. "Neither of you are anything like the other."

That was true, but Volan knew that Trevor and Tierno were very close despite their personalities being almost polar opposites – Trevor being withdrawn, studious, and anxious and Tierno being social, spontaneous, and carefree. It was really quite sweet. He knew that Caitlin would certainly think so when she inevitably met them.

 _She's coming back soon,_ his mind automatically reminded him as he thought of his beloved, and his heart went all fluttery.

"What about you, Volan? Do you think you're ready to take on the Santalune Gym?" Calem asked next. As he spoke, everyone else tilted their heads and peered at the person to whom he talked, all listening for the answer.

Volan could honestly say he wasn't entirely comfortable with how he was put on the spot just like that. He could only say with some degree of certainty, "I suppose? If it's a Bug-type Gym, then I've got a huge advantage, but Piper and I are still getting used to each other, and the leader probably has a strategy to deal with Flying-types…"

He stopped what was rapidly becoming a rant when he felt Thrin's hand slap him on the shoulder. "Calm down, would you?" his sister told him. "Since when do you worry this much? You were never this unsure of yourself back when you battled at the Gyms in Unova."

"I suppose it's just been a long time since I challenged one, that's all," Volan conceded, face heating up with embarrassment.

" _We'll do great, Boss,_ " encouraged Edgar, and Piper chirped in agreement.

Apparently deciding that they needed to take their minds off of the event looming in their near future, Shauna chose that moment to speak up in that perky, ever-cheerful voice of hers and suggest going out to dinner in celebration of their first days as official League-applicable Trainers. She was right, of course – Volan knew that he only needed to shed the weight from his shoulders for a while and have a fun time with his friends.

He'd cast away the nerve-wracking thoughts about his first official Gym battle in two years and use the opportunity to relax. It would be good for him.

As they left the Pokemon Center, Shauna and Serena in the lead – they had briefly collaborated over the latter's digital Town Map and decided on a good place to eat – Volan trailed along behind his sister, idly keeping his eye on the Froakie that still insisted on being carried in her backpack.

The sight of the technically wild Pokemon made him think of something worrying, though.

Viola would most likely have more than one Pokemon waiting for them when they came to challenge her, and Thrin only had her Vivillon.

 _I'll have to think of something,_ Volan decided. And he'd have to do it before tonight, for that was when they were going to achieve their first victory in the Kalos League.

-.-.-.-.-.

Elsewhere, in a sunny clearing in the middle of the otherwise dense forest, something small and green awoke in response to a voice calling for its attention. It warbled sleepily, not wanting to leave its comfortable rock that was luxuriously warm from absorbing the heat of the sun all day.

"Wulululu…" it burbled, rolling over with a grouchy expression.

 _Respond!_ the voice, calling from across an immeasurable distance, insisted. _Respond!_

At last, the little creature raised itself into a standing position upon its tail, lifting its head up to the sky. _We are awake!_ it called back. _Of what do you wish to speak to us?_

A brief pause, then the response came. _Another of us was stolen away by the Humans in Red! That totals nine of us in only the past month. There will not be many of us left hidden at this rate._

 _The humans have found a way to see us?_ the green thing questioned.

 _We believe it is so,_ the voice replied. _We have tried peering through the eyes of our kidnapped companions, but we do not see much. The Humans in Red do not speak any clues about their motives. This situation is becoming a concern._

The creature froze upon hearing this. It had not felt the need to monitor Kalos in a foolishly long time. Nine had been taken by humans – _humans_ , for Arceus' sake! – and it had not even known!

 _It is our fault!_ it broadcasted. _We have been neglectful in our duty. These incidents have gone unknown to us._

 _Do not worry,_ the voice assured it. _We have made sure to be watchful ever since the first cell was taken. The day before this one, we have observed something unusual that you must be notified of._

Confused by this, it asked, _'Unusual', you say?_

 _The Humans in Red sent a patrol worryingly near to your location,_ came the reply. _Other humans drove them off before they could take hold of a tenth._

Near its location? The green creature flinched and warbled fearfully, beads of sweat running down its slightly gelatinous brow. How fortunate it was for the Humans in Red to miss it while it was vulnerable!

The voice continued, _One of the humans was the One Who Knows. But there were three others. Two were marked – the Mark of Ideals and the Mark of Truth._

"Wulululululu!" it cried out in shock. _A Chosen has appeared in Kalos?!_

 _One Chosen, yes,_ confirmed the voice. _He Who Has Knowledge. We suspect that the other two will show themselves in due time._

 _But this can only mean that the Crisis will soon be upon us!_ the green creature protested.

The words that came next were firm, yet encouraging, and carried a trace of hope. _Do not be afraid! We must merely remain vigilant and continue to watch over Kalos. We will monitor the Chosen Three, as well as the Humans in Red._

 _We will remain here,_ the thing volunteered. _The One Who Knows must be monitored as well._

Only silence answered as it felt the mental connection become severed. With it came a foreboding feeling of growing dread.

The time of the Crisis was fast approaching…

-.-.-.-.-.

The Santalune City Gym looked particularly impressive now that the sun was disappearing below the horizon, with the Pokemon League symbol lit up like a beacon and the many windows spilling forth yellow light. Vividly, Volan was reminded of the Gym in Castelia City, which had windows arranged in a pattern like an insect's wing and always glowed with a similar yellow light.

Hopefully, the puzzle to this Gym wouldn't be as disgusting as that one, the notorious honey maze.

"What a way to end off the day!" announced Thrin, planting her hands on her hips and grinning confidently. "A good dinner with a side order of victory!"

"J-Just don't get overconfident," murmured Trevor. He had come with the Gurei siblings to cheer them on, while the rest of the Kalos gang spent their time elsewhere. "I-I'll bet this Viola is tough to beat…"

Volan remained silent. He had thought of a potential solution to Thrin's 'one-Pokemon-only' problem during dinner. The only problem was that he wasn't sure Viola would go for it… it may go against her personal preferences, or even the official League rules. He'd certainly ask for confirmation once they'd completed the puzzle.

They stepped through the doors and found themselves back in the gallery they had been admiring earlier that day. It looked different now that there was no longer any natural sunlight to come through the windows, meaning that the gallery now relied totally on the lights on the ceiling. This time, though, the group did not waste time being distracted by the impressive framed photographs hanging from the walls.

 _Now, where is…_ Volan began, but then interrupted his own mental voice. _Aha, there!_

On the other side of the room was Viola, who was frowning intensely at an empty spot on the wall – probably trying to figure out how, or with what, to fill the gap. She stopped, though, when she saw the three familiar faces approaching.

"Oh, hey!" she greeted them, lifting a hand away from her camera to wave. "Did you take care of you-know-who?"

Thrin's face turned into a dark scowl. "More like she took care of us…" she muttered sourly.

"But Thrin did a number on her," Volan piped up. "Didn't you, Thrin?" He reached over, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and holding her tight to his chest. He shook her a bit, and she got the hint and lightened up.

Shrugging, Viola replied, "Well, I didn't get any more reports of anyone falling victim since the three of you left, so I've been able to spend more time at the Gym. Actually, I need to ask – was it a dark girl named Sera?"

Three pairs of eyebrows went up in surprise. How had she known that?

"That's a yes, then," sighed Viola, interpreting their reactions correctly. "She's worried me for a while now… but I never thought she'd become this bad…"

Without their bidding, their minds flashed back to that first sighting of Sera's strangely-blank expression contrasted greatly by her dark, rage-filled orbs. She glared hatefully at them from within their heads, sending chills through their veins. Of the three of them, only Volan wondered the reason for the pain behind that overbearing fury.

 _Just who is she?_

The thought of her made him shudder.

All too cheerfully, Viola clapped her hands and said, "But enough about that! Are you three here for your Gym battle, then?"

Raising his hand, Trevor quavered in response, "N-Not me. I'm only h-here to watch them."

"Two challengers, then?" she grinned. "Fantastic, just fantastic! I'll open up the back room for you guys. Are you already familiar with how a Gym works, then?"

Upon seeing the Gureis both nod, she beamed proudly at them as if she herself had taught them how to do that. Then, despite their positive answer, she prattled on anyway, "There's a task in every Gym that involves figuring out how to reach the battlefield. You guys make it, you get to battle me for the right to earn a badge! Get all eight of them, and you can enter the Kalos League later this season. Got it?"

Having known all of this already, Volan and Thrin impatiently nodded. They were all too experienced with the variety of mazes and tricks that Gym Leaders often came up with to push their various challengers to the limit. It wasn't only about the strength of the Pokemon, but also the cleverness and perseverance of the Trainer that determined who could enter the League and who could not.

Satisfied, Viola walked over to the other side of the room, directly opposite the entrance, and pulled on the framed photograph of a Surskit skating over water. It slid to the side like an opening window when the blonde woman applied enough force to it, revealing the entrance to another room.

"Just slide down the rope until you get to the bottom!" she advised them, ushering them through in a single file line. "I built the first part of the challenge in the basement. Once you make it, there's a staircase that'll take you right to the battlefield!"

And with that, she slid the frame back into position behind them, trapping them in the small room beyond. It was mostly plain, except for the multiple photographs that hung from the walls, similar to those in the main gallery. The room's most prominent feature, however, was the large pit in the center of the floor, and the thick white rope that dangled from the ceiling and stretched down into the hole.

"W-We have to g-go down there?" Trevor gulped.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Volan assured him. He tested the rope's strength by tugging on it. "Viola wouldn't have this in the first place if it wasn't safe."

Taking a step forward so that she stood directly at his side, Thrin assured him, "I'll go first, if you want. That way you can see that there's nothing to be afraid of, okay?"

Hesitantly, the orange-haired boy nodded.

"Here goes, then!" she exclaimed, grabbing hold of the rope. "Down we goooooooo…!"

Her voice quickly got softer and then faded altogether as she disappeared into the pit. A few seconds later, the rope bounced around a little bit, signifying that she had reached the bottom and thusly had let go of it.

"After you, then," Volan nodded to Trevor, stepping aside.

"O-Okay," he replied. One hand at a time, he clutched the rope tightly, then held his breath and jumped. His eyes were squeezed shut as he slid down and vanished from sight.

Then it was, at last, Volan's turn. He slid down as well – the sudden feeling of having nothing below his feet and relying on a thin strand to keep him from falling outright was one that made his heart pound all the way down.

But then, he emerged in the basement, and his feet touched down on something springy. And when he became adjusted to the dimmer lighting, he couldn't believe what he saw.

He was in an absolutely massive room – the ceiling must have been at least twenty feet above his head. Faintly, he could see yellow lights installed on said ceiling, producing just enough light to illuminate most of the room, but dim enough to make it seem as though they were standing in a forest at nighttime.

But _were_ they in a forest? It was very hard to tell. The air was definitely more humid, and hidden speakers all over the room played the sounds of shrieking bird Pokemon and other tropical ambience. A light, misty rain fell from the ceiling. To top it all off, there was a massive Ariados web under Volan's feet, large enough to stretch from one end of the enormous room to the other. And below him – another twenty feet, it looked like – was a floor covered in ferns and tropical plants.

"It's like a rainforest," Thrin murmured beside him, clearly awed by the authenticity of the display Viola had constructed.

"And this web is sticky," Trevor observed in a mildly-complaining tone. He attempted to move his feet, but the web's material clung to them.

For the moment, Volan ignored them. He held his head high, despite the precipitation beginning to dot his glasses and blur his vision. At the end of this trial lay their goal – a badge from the Santalune Gym, and neither he nor Thrin were going to give up until they held it in their hands.

It was time for their Kalos League journey to officially begin.

-.-.-.-.-.

 **Talking with Sycamore (Volan definitely gets along with him) and training before the first Gym battle! Edgar and Piper getting used to each other, too.**

 **Just as with "Tale of a Legend" and Kalos content, I'm slowly bringing in Gen 7 stuff to this fic. Volan hasn't even heard of the Alola region until now, but he's going to see his fair share of Alolan Pokemon by the time I'm finished.**

 **Finally, someone important is taking note of the things happening in Kalos. They also seem to know about Volan and Thrin being associated with Legendaries…**

 **Piper: "Fletch.** ** _Review, guys._** **"**

 **Next chapter** **: Bug Battle! Gureis vs Viola!**

 **Chapter Question #8: What is your favorite Gym design in X and Y?**

 **I always thought Ramos' Gym was awesome. Viola's and Grant's are close behind.**

 **-.-.-.-.-.**

 **Volan's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Edgar (Murkrow, male)  
** **Ability: Super Luck  
** **Moves: Peck, Astonish, Pursuit, Haze**

 **Piper (Fletchinder, female)  
** **Ability: Flame Body  
** **Moves: Peck, Quick Attack, Ember, Agility**

 **Thrin's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Akuma (Vivillon, male)  
** **Ability: Shield Dust  
** **Moves: Sleep Powder, Tackle, Gust, Protect**


	14. Bug Battle! Gureis vs Viola!

**_Chapter 13 – Bug Battle! Gureis vs Viola!_**

 **Last time on "Flight of a Legend"…**

 **As Thrin and Trevor practice-battled outside, Volan called Professor Sycamore at the Pokemon Center and told him about recent events, including the mysterious shiny Froakie that seemed to take well to Thrin. He soon left to join his sister and friend, and joined in the practicing with Edgar and Piper to assess their skills before their upcoming Gym battle. That night, they attempted to conquer the Gym, while elsewhere, there were others discussing a Crisis to soon come…**

-.-.-.-.-.

The Santalune Gym puzzle took Volan, Thrin, and Trevor a bit less than an hour to complete.

As it turned out, the fake Ariados web that spanned the entirety of the massive room was not only strong enough to hold their weight, but also sticky enough to ensure that none of them would fall off. Thank goodness for that, as Volan reflected when he peered down at the room's floor – which was a good nineteen or twenty feet below them.

The trick to navigating the Gym was to look out for the strands of webbing that were safe to walk on. Some were safe, and some were not. To complicate things further, both kinds of string looked completely identical, and even though there was one continuous path across the web, it was ridiculously convoluted and had many side paths that ultimately led to dead ends. Finding the main path was literally a matter of trial and error. When a step too far in the wrong direction led to the webbing almost snapping underfoot, it was time to turn around and try again.

But, eventually, they made it through.

Volan stepped foot on a platform made of solid wood at the other end of the rainforest-like room and let the newfound sense of security wash over him to chase away the anxiety. He felt the thump of Thrin's feet hitting the platform right behind him, and a second later, Trevor literally collapsed with relief.

"Why did _I_ have to go through that?" he whined, getting up on shaking legs. "I'm not even challenging the Gym."

Taking the orange-haired boy's hand when it was offered, Volan felt a pang of sympathy as he helped him to his feet. He really needn't have gone through this, not if it meant constantly worrying about poor Trevor's state of mental health. He was nervous to begin with, but walking on what was essentially a sticky tightrope over a dozen feet above the ground – in limited light conditions to boot – had positively frayed his nerves with pure fear.

"You're doing it because you love us," Thrin told him simply. "And if you really were scared all through that puzzle, and went through it anyway… well, that says a lot about you." Her mouth curved upwards in a kind smile.

Flushing crimson, Trevor ducked his head and murmured, "Y-Yeah…"

Looking ahead, Volan saw that there was a large tent on the other side of the platform. He walked over to pull the flap back, and to his slight disappointment, he saw that it was empty – but on the other side of the tent, he saw the platform continue onto a solid concrete ledge extending out from the wall. A staircase with guardrails extended up into the ceiling.

"There we go!" he cried out, pulling the tent flap further back so that the others could see as well. "That should lead up to the battlefield, where Viola will be waiting."

"About time," Thrin muttered. She pulled her tank top up slightly in order to examine the fabric, exposing her stomach as she did so. "I think she made this jungle a little too realistic. Now my clothes are damp."

"L-Let's go, then," said Trevor, walking quickly past her and through the tent, still looking a little flushed. He must have disliked it even more than Thrin did if he was so motivated.

Unless there was another reason… but Volan shook his head. He was overthinking things after the tedious spider-web maze.

As Volan followed him up the stairs – and was closely followed by Thrin in turn – he gradually felt the rather humid climate regress back to one that was more typical of a normal summer evening. When he had traveled far enough up the stairs for his head to poke into the room above the completed Ariados-web maze, the heat and the dampness had been left completely behind him. It was replaced by temperatures that were comparatively cool and a soft breeze that likely came from a vent in the wall or ceiling.

"This isn't the battlefield," observed Trevor, staring down the long, well-lit hallway that they now faced.

Pointing to the end of the hall, Volan stated, "There's a door on the other side. This is just a passage leading to the field, most likely."

Of course, he was correct. But when they opened the door and stepped through into the room beyond, even he was surprised into speechlessness at what they found waiting for them.

The field wasn't just a field – it was a full-blown greenhouse.

Just as with the main Gym building, Volan was getting some serious Burgh vibes from this place. The Unovan Bug-type specialist had his battlefield built inside of a greenhouse as well, but it wasn't nearly as extravagant as this place. Lush plant life covered almost every inch of the ground that wasn't a part of the battlefield, ranging in height from the smallest flowers to the trees whose leaves scraped against the glass ceiling far above their heads. The black nighttime sky could be seen through the portions of the walls that weren't covered by plants, which provided an effective contrast with the lights hanging from the ceiling that provided normal light conditions for their benefit. (It wouldn't do to battle in the dark, after all.)

Waiting right there in the center of the field was Viola herself, waving at them. "You made it!" she called. "Fantastic, just fantastic! I've been looking forward to battling you two, Volan and Thrin! Now let's see if you can capture a snapshot of victory against me!"

While Trevor stood slightly off to the side, Volan and Thrin shook the Gym Leader's hand one at a time. Her handshake wasn't too tough but had an underlying firmness, like an unspoken challenge was being made with this clasping of hands.

"So, which one of you wants to make the challenge first?" Viola grinned, once they had finished with the exchange.

Thrin made a move to step forward, but was stopped by Volan putting his arm in her path. "Hold on," he murmured to her, then raised his voice so Viola could hear. "Listen, I don't know how many Pokemon you want us to use, but my sister only has one Pokemon. Could we, by any chance, team up and have a double battle with you? We both want a badge, but Thrin will definitely struggle."

He shot a _No offense_ look at Thrin. She nodded to show that she understood, but she looked simultaneously surprised and pleased at his proposition. She hadn't even thought of that in her excitement to get her first badge in Kalos.

"Hmm," Viola was thinking deeply, rubbing her chin and toying with something on her camera. She didn't speak up for several more seconds as she gave Volan's question some serious consideration. At last, her expression cleared up and she replied, "Alright, that's fine by me! I mean, normally I make the rules in this Gym, so it's your problem if you don't have enough Pokemon. But I suppose you two _did_ save the world from Team Plasma and all, so I'll make an exception for you."

She winked playfully at them, and the Gureis grinned a bit sheepishly. They didn't have to worry about it often now that they lived in another region, but it always embarrassed them when someone brought up their past deeds. Volan was too modest to want to talk about what his achievements, and Thrin couldn't help but be reminded of her time as a prisoner – and later, a puppet – of Team Plasma.

So, it was settled. Viola had agreed to fight both siblings in a double battle to cover for Thrin's handicap. And besides, fighting a pair of challengers at once rather than separately was more convenient. They took their positions on opposite ends of the artificially-illuminated field – the Gym Leader standing alone on one side, and the Gureis standing rigidly together as one on the other side.

"Where's the referee?" Thrin asked, after a moment of waiting.

"Oh…" started Viola, blinking as if waking up. "Right… I forgot how late it was. He's likely left for the night. You there!" she suddenly called to Trevor. "Would you mind taking the referee's position?"

"H-Huh?" he stammered, flinching. "Y-You mean m-me?"

"Yes, you can serve as the referee!" Viola repeated, grinning with amusement at his reaction. She waved him over and added, "Come over here and I'll tell you the rules."

It didn't take long for her to fill the orange-haired boy in, talking to him in a tone too quiet for Volan and Thrin to hear at the distance they stood. At last, he nodded to her and walked to the side of the battlefield, where he would serve as the match's unofficial referee.

"Th-This will be a Gym battle between the leader, Viola, and the challengers, Volan and Thrin!" he announced, without much stammering this time. "Each side will use two Pokemon at the same time, and the victor will be decided when the opposing side's Pokemon are both unable to continue! Is everyone ready?"

"Yes," Volan and Thrin said as one.

"Picture perfect!" added Viola.

When Trevor slashed his hand down, he was wearing a tiny grin. Despite his nerves, he was excited to be playing this part in an official Gym battle. "Then let's begin!" he cried, and it was on.

Two Poke Balls were already in Viola's hands before the brother-sister team could move. "Surskit and Vivillon!" she called, hurling them into the air. "Let's start the photoshoot!"

The first Pokemon to materialize was a small, blue insect with legs like strands of spaghetti, although they were definitely strong and sturdy enough to hold its weight. It moved back and forth, drifting smoothly as if it was standing on ice. The second of Viola's Pokemon was a Vivillon, although one that was bigger and more colorful than Thrin's. The butterfly's wings were a hot shade of pink with colored speckles scattered around the edges, and it fluttered energetically like it couldn't wait to get started.

"Akuma, time to win this!" Thrin shouted, releasing her own Vivillon.

 _Surskit's a Water-type, so no Piper this time,_ Volan thought, using that to make his decision in only an instant. Bouncing his Poke Ball in his palm, he caught it and gave it a toss with a cry of "No mercy, Edgar!"

All four Pokemon were now present, and each of them stood – or hovered – more or less stock-still as they sized up the competition. Surskit and Edgar narrowed their eyes at each other, while Akuma was concentrating on the other Vivillon to a degree that was concerning. It noticed and shot him a wink, making his cheeks turn the same color as the female's wings.

Observing this with a sinking realization, Volan prayed, _Please let this turn out alright. Please Akuma, don't get distracted._

On his right, Thrin was seeing what he had seen, and sent him a very worried glance. She was having second thoughts.

 _This is her first Gym battle,_ he remembered. _And it's already looking like it'll be an uphill battle. She's losing confidence…_

He couldn't allow that to happen. He felt Thrin stiffen when she felt his hand take hers and squeeze it, but she soon relaxed and gave him a broad grin. Together, they could do anything – even a fight for her very first badge. She only needed that reminder.

"My lens is always pointed at victory!" declared Viola. "We're ready for any attack you throw at us!"

"Sounds like you need to readjust your focus, then!" Thrin bantered back, holding her arms in a combat-ready pose. "We'll start things off! Akuma, give them your Struggle Bug!"

His body taking on a light green glow as he summoned the Bug-type energy within him to pull off the move he'd just learned, Akuma shot forward with a powerful flap of his wings. He was shockingly fast for a Vivillon, something that Viola's learned the hard way. She squeaked in pain when he rammed into her midsection, a blue aura cascading down her form as Struggle Bug's additional effect kicked in and lowered her stats.

"Vi-vi, vi-veeeeeon!" she scolded indignantly. Whatever she said made Akuma falter and blush again.

"Our turn!" called Viola. "Surskit and Vivillon, use Quick Attack and Tackle to soften them up!"

Both bugs launched themselves forward, Surskit with much greater speed than its airborne ally. The long-legged Pokemon was only a blur as it skated across the field and slammed right into Edgar, sending him flying back with a startled caw. Akuma dove out of the way of Vivillon's tackle, only for her to come after him again from behind.

"Edgar, stop it from reaching Akuma with Peck!" ordered Volan.

" _You da boss, Boss!_ " he replied, and jumped into the air to intercept Vivillon.

But Viola was having none of that. "Surskit, use Ice Beam!"

"Surrrr-skit!" it squeaked fiercely, aiming its antenna before firing a jagged beam of icy lightning straight at Edgar.

 _Ice Beam?!_ Volan almost panicked at the revelation that it knew an Ice-type move. Of course Viola would need some strategy to counter her weaknesses…

He kept his cool, though, and warned Edgar, "It's coming right at you! Pull up!"

The Murkrow withdrew, avoiding the beam by centimeters. No longer in danger of being interrupted, Vivillon reached Akuma and smashed him with a full-body tackle that sent him reeling.

"Use Infestation on the other Vivillon!" yelled Viola.

Not knowing what Infestation was, and certainly harboring no desire to find out, Volan called up to Edgar, "Use Haze!"

Just as Vivillon was swooping down on Akuma to strike him with her attack, Edgar zipped past with as loud and distracting a caw as possible, black smog trailing from his wings and tail. Vivillon instinctively moved her head to glance at the bird, and that single movement ruined her chances of hitting her opponent. Because when she turned back to Akuma a mere split second later, the Haze was already thick enough to completely cloak him from view.

"Vi-vee?" the meadow-patterned Vivillon cried softly, noticing that she was completely surrounded by inky blackness.

"Rise above it, Vivillon!" came Viola's order from somewhere outside the mist.

As the Bug-and-Flying-type gained height to escape the Haze, her vivid pink wings stuck out like a sore thumb. Since Surskit was still somewhere inside the cloud that had yet to dissipate, Volan and Thrin now had a visible target to direct their Pokemon at.

Wearing identical smirks, the brother-sister team pointed up and shouted "Use Struggle Bug!" to Akuma, and "Use Wing Attack!" to Edgar.

The two Pokemon streaked upwards out of the cloud of Haze, shining with Bug-type or Flying-type energy. Edgar in particular looked magnificent, his newest move manifesting itself as a light blue glow around his wings. They closed in on Vivillon, corkscrewing towards their mutual foe like a strand of DNA.

"Multiple Ice Beams, Surskit!" yelled Viola.

Icy blasts began to fire randomly around Vivillon, preventing Akuma and Edgar from getting near. Every time they tried to approach, a beam would flash across their path and they'd stop just short of flying into it.

"This isn't working," Volan grumbled, frustrated. "We can't hit Surskit as long as it stays inside the Haze, and approaching Vivillon is too risky with it on guard."

"Then ranged moves it is!" announced Thrin. "Akuma, blow it away!"

"Vi-viiiiiveon!" Akuma giggled, sweeping his wings back to unleash a Gust…

The female Vivillon winked at him. He froze, flustered by the attention.

Seconds later, an Ice Beam nailed him in the chest, sending him plummeting to the ground.

"Akuma!" Thrin wailed.

With effort, he pulled himself to his feet and returned to a hovering position directly in front of his mistress, shaking ice crystals off of him. He smiled reassuringly, showing her that despite the super-effective hit, he was still able to fight on.

"Edgar, fly up with Wing Attack!" shouted Volan. "Weave around the beams as best you can!"

Cawing, Edgar tried again to go after the Gym Leader's Vivillon, wings flaring with light and carving twin streaks through the air. When Viola shouted to Surskit, more Ice Beams began to shoot out from the Haze. Avoiding them was tough, since they came randomly and were not aimed with any target in mind – but Edgar's training with Tierno earlier in the day had certainly paid off, judging from the way he managed to get through the beams unscathed.

However, it was by no means a perfect hit when he finally reached Vivillon. His Wing Attack barely made contact, nicking the insect enough to make her lose balance but not enough to fall.

Thrin, at this point, had had enough. "Okay, I'm done with this," she declared. "Akuma, go for it! Straight in!"

"What are you doing?" Volan demanded.

"I have a plan!" she smiled at him. "We're partners in a double battle, and neither of us are rookies any more – trust me, this'll work!"

As they argued, Akuma was indeed trusting his mistress even as she told her older brother to do the same – fearlessly, and mind free of any distracting thoughts of the other Vivillon, he folded his wings and dove down toward the foggy cloud that still obscured the battlefield. Thrin, he figured, probably wanted him to take care of Surskit, which was still hiding in there.

"Ice Beam!" Viola, predictably, shouted when she saw the elegant-patterned Scale Pokemon on the move.

Surskit's aim was spot-on. The bolt of whitish-blue lightning came lancing out of the cloud directly in front of Akuma, and would surely spear him in the head and knock him out of the fight if it were to connect. But in fact, Akuma was in no real danger. Thrin, as she promised, was prepared.

"Go, Wing Shield!" she commanded.

 _Oh, of course!_ Volan's mind lit up with recognition. That was the name of the combo she'd worked on with Akuma!

Immediately, the male Vivillon's wings were curled protectively around him, projecting a greenish barrier to completely protect him from the incoming blast. The Ice Beam smashed against the force field, pushing Akuma back and causing solidified Ice-type energy to fly out in all directions.

And now it was time for the second part of the combo. Having done extensive practice with it before, Akuma already knew what to do without Thrin's urging. He dropped the shield and instantly flared his wings back out, producing a howling Gust that swept over the field like an enormous, insubstantial blade. With that single move, the Haze was wiped away and Surskit was slammed so hard by the wall of wind that it tumbled to Viola's feet with a shrill squeak of pain.

"Awesome job, Thrin!" Volan praised her, turning slightly to give her an elated grin. "That's great how you use the stored-up power from Protect to make the Gust stronger!"

"I know, right?" she agreed proudly. "Who knows, we might be able to make it even more powerful!"

Edgar flew down to join them, cawing a compliment to his partner. Akuma swelled up much like Thrin had, immensely pleased that his hard work had paid off.

They heard applause coming from Viola's side of the field. "Fantastic, just fantastic!" she exclaimed. "Coming up with strategies like that, taking advantage of what your Pokemon is able to do, that's part of what being a great Trainer is all about! Fantastic!"

Then, she narrowed her eyes and smirked challengingly, ready to resume the battle. "Right now, though, it's time to bring this in for a photo finish! Surskit, use your Sweet Scent, and Vivillon, get ready!"

Chirping affirmatively, her Vivillon flew higher with only a couple of flaps, ending up at the same height as some of the trees collected there in the greenhouse. The Scale Pokemon's brilliant pink wings popped out dramatically against the black night sky.

"Surrrrr!" trilled Surskit, a stream of pink mist spurting from its single antenna. It began to spin gracefully in a circle, sliding on the ground as if it were a calm pond surface and spreading the scent around.

The pink mist was like the polar opposite of the Haze that had previously shrouded the field in its place. It was almost clear, other than the faint shimmer of its individual particles, and its scent was nearly undetectable. Volan remembered reading once that Sweet Scent varied with the Pokemon that used it, and sometimes it wasn't "sweet" at all. Though its effect was always the same, making the Pokemon affected by it less likely to evade attacks.

And _their_ Pokemon were definitely no exception to the rule. As soon as the rosy-colored wave washed over them, Akuma and Edgar seemed to relax, and their steady positions wobbled. They shook their heads to try and clear their senses, but the scent was too strong to be gotten rid of that easily.

"Use Infestation, Vivillon!" Viola ordered.

"Veeeeon!" the butterfly shrieked, dive-bombing her male counterpart.

Clumsily, Akuma flapped his wings, but his senses were dulled by the overpowering Sweet Scent. When Vivillon got close enough to him, she rapidly pulled up and formed a dark, pulsating ball in between her hands. It struck Akuma and instantly burst open into a mass of black crawling things that swarmed over his body, weighing him down and making him writhe in pain.

"That… is incredibly disgusting," Volan remarked, wrinkling his nose. "Edgar, Peck that pest!"

"Kroooww!" the Darkness Pokemon squawked, launching himself off the ground. With Vivillon already so close, he smacked into her almost instantaneously, his beak exerting enough force to propel her across the field while he landed back on his talons as if nothing had happened at all.

Greatly unsettled by the sight of Akuma wriggling futilely under a coating of miniscule parasites, Thrin cried out, "Are you okay? Shake them off, you've got to!"

"That's not going to work!" Viola declared triumphantly. "Infestation not only deals damage, you see, but also prevents the Pokemon from escaping. Surskit and Vivillon, use Quick Attack and Tackle!"

Her Pokemon let out a pair of battle cries that somehow came across as fierce despite their high-pitched, squeaky tones. They took off at the same time, but Surskit was so fast it left afterimages of itself behind and hit Edgar before he could even spread his wings in alarm. Vivillon was soon to follow, ramming into the motionless Akuma and flinging him onto his back. He tried to move his wings to get back into a standing position, but the biting parasites still clinging to him added too much weight and rendered him unable to move.

"Edgar!" Volan called. "Can you stand?"

Nodding, the Murkrow clambered to his feet and walked over to push Akuma upright again. They narrowed their eyes at their opponents – the Vivillon watching them from high above, and the Surskit skating circles around them as it waited for the order to attack.

"We're taking a real beating here!" Volan grunted, balling his fists as he watched the Bug-types surround their battered Pokemon. "Thrin, if you don't get those… things off of Akuma…"

"Arceus, what would I ever do without you," she sniped at him sarcastically. "If you can distract the other Vivillon, I have a plan to get Akuma free."

"Vi-veeeeon!" the purple Bug-and-Flying-type called over. " _Sometime soon, please!_ "

Volan nodded, shifting into a defensive pose. "Consider it done. Edgar, fly straight up and prepare a Wing Attack!"

With his loudest, most obnoxious cry yet, Edgar shot upwards like a black bullet, successfully drawing the startled eyes of both enemy Bugs. His wings glowed brightly, and even caught the light of the ceiling lamps to produce a tremendous flare.

" _Look over here!_ " he hollered tauntingly.

The insects weren't the only ones with their eyes on Edgar – Viola was also staring wide-eyed with worry. "Don't get hit with that attack! Vivillon, Surskit, dodge!"

"Get Vivillon, Edgar!" commanded Volan.

Like comets through the night sky, Edgar's wings sliced across the field on his way to strike his aerial foe. Vivillon avoided it in time, which only led to a series of almost dance-like movements as the Flying-types swerved and twirled around in an effort to either hit or not get hit.

Smirking, Thrin saw that Vivillon was distracted and knew this was her chance. "Akuma!" she shouted. "Spin and use as strong a Gust as you can!"

"VEEEEON!" Akuma screeched, jumping as far into the air as he was able and using the momentum to begin a series of spins.

Sweat was visible on Viola's brow. "Oh no…"

As he twirled as hard as he could, a violent wind was whipped up around the elegant-patterned butterfly Pokemon. It started as a spiral of dust that kept low to the ground, then the winds themselves rapidly became visible as they strengthened. The funnel expanded, rapidly sweeping outward in all directions.

Volan, Thrin, Trevor, and Viola saw the solid wall coming straight for them and braced themselves, but were still almost bowled over. They leaned forward to keep their balance, and Volan had to catch Edgar when the Murkrow came sailing into his chest. All he could hear was the dull roar of wind, and although the disturbed air blurred his vision, he could swear he saw the trees growing around them bending over and shedding their leaves as the wind's force acted on them, too.

Finally, it was over, and everyone stumbled, overbalancing, when the Gust died down. The first thing Volan saw, besides an injured Surskit and Vivillon, were black specks floating down from Akuma's body and disintegrating.

"You got free!" Thrin exclaimed.

"Now let's wrap this battle up!" added Volan. "Edgar, Pursuit on Surskit!"

"Not so fast!" countered Viola, jumping back into the battle as easily as he had. "Surskit, meet it with a Quick Attack!"

"Skit!" cried the Pond Skater Pokemon, lurching forward.

Bird and bug collided, but Edgar was slightly stronger. He pushed Surskit away, his wingbeats becoming clumsy for a second as he shook off the damage he had sustained.

"Go after it, Akuma!" yelled Thrin, pointing after Surskit.

"Don't let them hit Surskit, Vivillon!" Viola commanded.

Halfway toward the dazed Surskit, Akuma was about to attack when he heard the telltale wingbeats of a pursuer behind him. He twisted his head around to look behind him and saw the other Vivillon gaining on him rapidly.

"Gust!" Thrin ordered.

"And Edgar, you go after Surskit and use Peck!" Volan added, seeing that Akuma was otherwise preoccupied.

Letting out a furious cry, Akuma whipped his wings forward to send a semi-visible blast of wind hurtling toward the female Vivillon. At the same time, Edgar flew straight for Surskit with his beak aimed at its slightly ovular body.

"Dodge it, both of you!" shouted Viola.

With a squeak, Vivillon flapped her wings once and jerked upwards, vaulting over Akuma's Gust. Surskit, meanwhile, shook off the last of its dizziness and shot to the side, forcing Edgar's beak to do nothing but slice thin air.

"Tackle and Bubble!" the Gym Leader finished.

"Skiiiiit!" shrieked Surskit, pointing its antenna at Edgar and firing a barrage of watery spheres. They struck dead-on, filling a portion of the field with white mist.

"Viiiii-veon!" Vivillon cried at the same time, throwing herself bodily into Akuma's thorax. The male was the bigger of the two lepidopteran Pokemon, but he was still thrown a considerable distance before righting himself.

A victorious smirk on her face, Viola showed no mercy as she eagerly pressed her advantage. "Now use Quick Attack and Draining Kiss!"

"Block it!" the Gureis shouted as one.

When Edgar landed on the ground, Surskit immediately skated after him, white light streaking behind it. Lightning-fast, he crossed his wings and summoned the energy for a Wing Attack, producing what looked like a glowing shield that held up against the Bug-and-Water-type's assault, even at the speed with which it traveled. Pushing forward, Edgar then found the strength to spread his wings open and use them to smack Surskit across the field.

However, Akuma was not nearly as fortunate. He tried to cast his wing over his face to protect himself, but another flirtatious wink from the other Vivillon made him falter. That was all the time she needed to dance in and press a chaste kiss to his cheek. Akuma blushed fiery red, and then the color drained out of him and he went unhealthily pale. He fluttered weakly down to the floor as several bright orbs appeared from within his body and were sucked into Vivillon, who perked up noticeably as she absorbed his energy.

"Garbodor breath," muttered Thrin.

"We need to immobilize them somehow," Volan replied, nodding to both Surskit and Vivillon. "Then we can finish them off in one big attack."

"Okay," she agreed. "Distract them again?"

"You got it," he answered. Raising his voice, he then shouted, "Edgar, back-to-back Wing Attacks! Don't give Vivillon any time to recover!"

" _Sorry 'bout dis. Just part'a the job description, see?_ " Edgar said, seemingly talking to Vivillon as he took off once again.

"Counter it with Draining Kiss!" retorted Viola. She wasn't about to let her Pokemon get hit with an attack with _that_ much power.

Thankfully, Edgar was faster. He ducked under Vivillon's lunge and slammed into her gut, but she recovered surprisingly quickly and successfully dodged when he came around for another go.

"Vi-vi-viiiii-veon," she cooed, darting forward whenever she had the chance. " _Just a peck, sweetie~._ "

" _Get dat mouth'a yers away from me, woman!_ " protested Edgar, swerving before attempting another unsuccessful strike. " _Go back ta suckin' flowers or sometin', huh?_ "

Thrin could see that Vivillon was definitely being kept busy by her brother's Murkrow, which meant it was relatively safe for Akuma if he could avoid Surskit. "Come on," she encouraged him. "Get off the ground and we can end this!"

"V-Viiiii… v-veon…" he murmured, rising into the air with shaky flaps.

But their opponent wasn't about to make it easy for them. Viola caught sight of the recovering male Vivillon and commanded, "Surskit, get in there with Quick Attack! And Vivillon, you hit that Murkrow with Poison Powder!"

"Struggle Bug!" Thrin practically spat.

Simultaneously, Volan ordered, "Hide yourself with Haze!"

Black fog exploded into view as Edgar expelled a quick, potent burst to escape from the sparkling purple cloud that Vivillon shook at him. Then something that glowed green became visible from the other side of the fog – Akuma, who met Surskit halfway as the Bug-and-Water-type charged forward. It just didn't seem to be Surskit's day, since Akuma was the stronger of the two and sent the smaller insect tumbling through the dirt.

"Sleep Powder, and put a spin on it!" called Thrin.

At her command, Akuma giggled mischievously and flew high above the field while showing off a series of twirls, shedding wave after wave of lovely green dust as he did so. The dust washed over everything in the vicinity, which included Vivillon and Surskit. Together, they drooped pathetically, sleepily sinking lower and lower with every second that passed.

 _This is it!_ Volan instinctively knew. It was their big chance to bring the proverbial hammer down.

"Akuma, give them your strongest Gust of all!" Thrin yelled.

"Edgar, use the wind to rise and gain speed!" Volan shouted immediately after.

"VIIIIII!" shrilled Akuma, his voice reaching almost glass-shattering intensity.

His cry seemed to almost spur him into action, allowing him to unleash all that was left of the power that still resided within him. With all his might, he stirred up the winds in the greenhouse until they – yes, really – formed a small tornado that picked up the drowsing Surskit and Vivillon and hurled them high into the air with frightened screams.

"Get above them, then go straight into Wing Attack!" Volan bellowed over the howl of the raging cyclone that Akuma had churned up.

The caw that the Dark-and-Flying-type gave in reply could barely even be heard to Volan's ears. All he saw was a small black figure spiraling up and around the tornado at speeds that surely must have been nauseating. When Edgar reached the top of the funnel-shaped windstorm, his wings flashed white and he plunged downward sickeningly fast, smashing into both his opponents and driving them into the ground with an explosion of dirt and earth chunks so massive that it destroyed the tornado as well.

Volan went momentarily blind. So did everyone else, probably.

It took a while for everything to calm after that. Once it did, however, there was no denying the results. Edgar shook himself out and busily preened himself while he stood next to Surskit and Vivillon squashed into a crater in the middle of the battlefield.

" _I suppose dat means we're victorious, den,_ " was all he said, before sticking his beak back into his ragged feathers.

Everyone instinctively glanced toward the designated referee. Trevor was pale, dangerously shaky, and his normally well-combed orange bowl-cut was sticking up all over the place. He looked like he had barely even survived that last Gust.

"U-Um…" he managed to stammer out once he noticed everyone staring at him. "B-Both the Gym L-Leader's Pokemon are unable to b-battle. The v-victory goes to the ch-challengers, Volan a-and Thrin."

The siblings grinned and slapped their hands together in a double high-five. They'd taken their first step toward victory in the Kalos League!

 _It feels so great to beat a Gym Leader again,_ Volan thought to himself, grinning so hard at his sister that his cheeks hurt. _It's just like back in Unova, when Bianca and I fought the leaders in Striaton City._

"Th-That was amazing!" Trevor exclaimed as he rushed over to join his friends. "You totally joined forces with your Pokemon to overcome your opponents!"

Laughing, Thrin bent down a little to give the shorter boy a hug. "It was my first Gym battle, and it felt _great_!" she burst out, jumping up and whirling around to hug Volan next. He returned it with a laugh of his own.

"Fantastic, just fantastic!"

A sudden flash came from the corner of their vision. The three friends turned as one to see Viola walking over to meet them, her hands firmly grasping the sides of her camera as she took it away from her face.

"Sorry about that, I couldn't resist taking such a great pic!" she told them, looking just as excited as they were. "Volan, Thrin, I always knew you were capable of fantastic things, but you showed me first-hand just what you're capable of! You two have both earned your badges fair and square – take them! The Bug Badge is proof you've conquered the Santalune Gym."

She dug in the pocket of her cargo pants and tossed them each a small medallion. Unlike the badges Volan had won in Unova, which were long and thin, this one was more button-shaped and resembled a bronze Ledyba. Two huge, yellowish spots gleamed on its rounded back, while its antennae formed a ring in front of it.

"Thanks, Viola!" Thrin exclaimed, her smile never fading.

"No, thank _you_!" the woman insisted, chuckling. "It was a true honor to battle such fantastic Trainers as yourselves! Good luck in the Kalos League, both of you!"

The two victors shook Viola's hand and departed, exiting the building and striding into the chilly night on their way to the Pokemon Center. It was late, but they knew it'd be a few hours more before they could settle down to sleep. Their exciting battle would be fresh in their minds for a good while longer.

-.-.-.-.-.

 **Akuma is weak to the Girl-type.**

 **I think "double battle" always used to be capitalized in ToaL because it's technically a special kind of battle (like Rotation or Horde), but I've stopped because I find it redundant.**

 **Welp, the Santalune Gym battle has come to a close, and it ended with one HELL of a bang. And this is just the first Gym! Imagine how this unbeatable sibling tag team will crush Wulfric in the far distant future!**

 **Viola: "Give us a picture-perfect review!"**

 **Next chapter** **: Sera's Vengeance**

 **Chapter Question #9: Who's your favorite Bug-type user?**

 **Aaron of the Sinnoh Elite Four was pretty great! But ma boi Guzma is just dope as hell. Y'ALL ARE STUPID**

 **-.-.-.-.-.**

 **Volan's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Edgar (Murkrow, male)  
** **Ability: Super Luck  
** **Moves: Peck, Wing Attack, Pursuit, Haze**

 **Piper (Fletchinder, female)  
** **Ability: Flame Body  
** **Moves: Peck, Quick Attack, Ember, Agility**

 **Thrin's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Akuma (Vivillon, male)  
** **Ability: Shield Dust  
** **Moves: Sleep Powder, Struggle Bug, Gust, Protect**


	15. Sera's Vengeance

**_Chapter 14 – Sera's Vengeance_**

 **Volan, Thrin, and Trevor successfully made it through the tricky puzzle set up in the basement of the Santalune City Gym, which was made to look like a giant spider web in the rainforest. Upon reaching the battlefield, Volan and Thrin teamed up to fight Viola in a double battle, using Edgar and Akuma against the leader's Vivillon and Surskit. It was a tough battle, but Thrin and Volan managed to deal a crushing blow to the enemy Pokemon and earn the Bug Badge!**

-.-.-.-.-.

Once she had gotten her Pokemon healed at the Pokemon Center – yes, the same one she worked at, and Nurse Joy was only too happy to help – a certain Sera De Lis decided to make her way home. The day was growing old, and she still had to get dinner.

Her home was a long way off from Santalune City's main square. It was in a more residential area, near the outskirts where the city met Route 3. And she was in no rush to go back. So Sera walked slowly and leisurely, allowing her scowl to relax back into neutrality. It wasn't often she found something to enjoy, but today, the cool evening breeze and orange-red sunset definitely qualified.

But still… Sera couldn't get that girl out of her mind. Thrin Gurei… the one with the shiny Froakie.

"I've never seen a Pokemon that impressive, Skroop," she murmured aloud. "Nigel managed to beat it, but barely."

Her backpack wiggled as the Skorupi crawled out from where he was nesting on top of her nurse's uniform from work. His legs grabbed hold of her shoulder, shifting their positions until he was comfortable.

"Rupi?" he chirruped to his mistress.

Reaching up to scratch the little scorpion under the chin, Sera continued, "Froakie evolves into a Dark-type, so of course I'd be interested. If we meet that girl again, I'd like another battle to see if it's gotten stronger. Or maybe I could convince her to trade…"

"Scorrrrr," Skroop said, clearly amused.

"Hey, don't laugh," she scowled. She flicked Skroop between the eyes, making him hiss. "We need to be strong if we're going to enter the League and complete my goal. And we can't do that if it's just you, me, and Nigel."

She felt something wiggle in her backpack again, and the sound of a Poke Ball opening filled her ears. Soon, the Inkay was floating beside her, a disgruntled expression on his beak.

 _My Lady, you could have more confidence in us,_ Nigel frowned, announcing his displeasure through the use of telepathy.

"Don't be so narrow-minded," Sera snapped at the Dark-and-Psychic-type. "We'll need a full team of powerful fighters if we're to become strong enough to win the League. Once we do, I'll know we're ready."

Skroop agreed with her, hissing with annoyance at his fellow Pokemon. Nigel immediately blanched and edged away from the irritable arachnid, knowing from past experience that his Pin Missile would do a number on him, and then some.

 _R-Right, how silly of me to assume otherwise,_ Nigel amended. He fluttered his tentacles and clacked his beak nervously.

Another minute of walking passed before Sera paused at an intersection. She knew this road would take her right home, but still… She looked at the sun, still sinking lower towards the horizon.

 _Let's be honest,_ she told herself. _Do I really have to go home so soon? The less time I spend there, the less I suffer._

A short walk around the city she grew up in would help her settle. Besides, she needed to get dinner before she headed back to her house. It would still be a few days before her next paycheck, so she had to conserve carefully as she'd always done. A bit every day for food and drink, and a bit into her secret stash so that she'd have plenty of funds for when she became a Trainer.

She smirked a bit to herself when that last thought crossed her mind. Digging her hand into the single pocket on her skirt, she withdrew a small card – a brand-new Trainer's License. She'd contacted Kalos' leading expert on Pokemon, Professor Sycamore, and asked about the process, and he'd been more than happy to help her out.

"Rupi rupi!" Skroop chirped. " _You're a Trainer now!_ "

 _So when are we leaving, My Lady?_ Nigel asked.

"Not for a while," she answered, pocketing the card once more. "I want to make sure we're absolutely prepared. Then, once we are, we'll take down Viola and leave this city for good."

With that, she continued down the street, heading for a market on the other side that she knew would suit her needs for tonight. There was nothing out here to bother her, so she made sure to keep her anger bottled up inside and relax for a while. Before she went back home, she'd be sure to enjoy the solitude while it lasted.

Because it wouldn't last very long at all…

-.-.-.-.-.

A grocery bag in each hand, Sera's mood rapidly began to sour as she turned down the street she lived on. She could easily tell which house was hers by the old, dead tree and weed-choked front lawn, which contrasted greatly with the well-kept greenery that grew out in front of the other houses on the street. It was a sight that always filled her with revulsion, enough to make her feel physically sick to her stomach.

She swallowed the bile already rising in her throat. She drew a deep breath through her nose, imagining the cool air seeping down into her body and cooling the bubbling cauldron of fury locked up inside. It took several more breaths before she was feeling calm enough to walk past the gate and into the driveway.

 _Only a few more days,_ she thought to herself. In order to keep herself calm, she repeated the phrase several more times. _Only a few more days, a few more days…_

Behind her, Skroop and Nigel exchanged a worried glance. The meaning was clear – _I'm worried it will happen tonight._

They had been wondering that for a long time now. Every day Sera spent at the house was another day of stress and suffering. One day, she'd crack. They knew she knew it, too, and both of them lived in fear of that day.

It wasn't just fear for themselves, but fear for their mistress as well. She needed to escape and live a life as a Trainer before her own negative emotions drove her insane. But still, she insisted on staying behind. She wanted to wait until she was completely ready to set out on a journey – and it had already been four years since she turned fifteen, the minimum legal age.

A startled shriek caught their attention, and they rushed ahead to lend their mistress their aid.

But it was alright. Sera wasn't harmed, she had just slipped when she had accidentally stepped on a dark green bottle sitting on the first step of her front porch. Fortunately, she hadn't fallen, only stumbled. The offending bottle rolled innocuously off the step and continued down the driveway at an angle, eventually stopping when it came to the lawn.

Silently, Sera followed it and leaned down to pick it up, hefting its weight in her hands. Then she brought it to her nose and gave it a cautious sniff – it had been pitched earlier today. The scent of whiskey was faint, but still clinging to the inside of the glass.

She suddenly felt a powerful urge to throw the despicable item against the wall of the house and watch it shatter into a thousand pieces. She gritted her teeth as she felt the anger flare up again, biting deep into her heart as if to spur her onto that destructive path.

But no. She wouldn't do it. She'd save her anger for when it was really needed. The only way to do it was to keep it deep inside, no matter how painful it was to do.

Sighing, she relaxed her hand, allowing the pungent bottle to smash open on the concrete below.

"Nigel," she ordered, speaking into the silence that had fallen, "check and see if there's anyone inside."

The Inkay saluted and levitated off to the window, leaning close to the glass in hopes of making something out of the darkness inside. After a moment, he gave up and returned to Sera.

 _Nothing, My Lady,_ he reported. _Even with eyes as good as mine, I can't see a thing._

She nodded her approval. "Thanks anyway, Nigel. Skroop, get ready. We might have to evict somebody again."

"Rrrrrupi," the Scorpion Pokemon growled.

As Sera closed her fingers around the doorknob, she allowed a dark smirk to flit across her face. She remembered the last time her mother had brought home one of those perverts from the bar. The disgusting man's earsplitting screams for help as Skroop beat him senseless on his way out the door still rang loud and true in her memory, even after all these weeks. If she was being honest with herself, she could use a bit more amusement to liven up her dreary home life.

The door made a low creaking sound as it opened. There was nothing but shadow waiting beyond the threshold, which swallowed up Sera's equally inky-black clothing in a matter of moments. Her midnight-blue eyes adjusted quickly to the lightless domain, picking out the vague outlines of furniture to be avoided on her way inside. Then, she was suddenly provided with a weak light to see by – Nigel had caught up with her, activating his bioluminescent spots so that the darkness would not remain so dark.

Fortunately, the living room was devoid of conscious human life when she entered. The television had been left on, casting an artificial blue glow over the floor and sofa. Her mother, Sera noted with a slight downwards turn of her lips, was dead to the world and sprawled out messily on the cushions. More bottles of whiskey littered the carpet around the sofa – one of them was even still half-full, spilling its contents onto the thirsty rug.

Sera responded to the overpowering scent of alcohol with only a crinkling of her nose and a condescending lift of her chin. "Good, we won't have to put up with her crap tonight," she growled out. "We'll have our dinner in the kitchen, you two. Follow me before you get sick from the smell."

However, all three of them knew that none of them could be fazed by a mere scent at this point. As sad as it was, this had been their life for many years now – go to work, come home with dinner, find the older woman either tipsy or passed out.

 _It's vile, is what it is,_ Sera told herself as she prepared their meal. _Arceus, I can't wait to get the hell out of here. I'm sure my mother can fend for herself._

She looked up from the pasta she was stirring on the stove, frowning at the wall. _And if not, well… shit happens._

At least the kitchen was still welcoming. Its walls painted a cheery yellow, and illuminated brightly by a pair of lamps built into the ceiling, it was as welcome a place as you could get in the De Lis household. Even Sera perked up a little as she served her two Pokemon a dish of food each, specially selected from the Poke Mart to suit their nutritional needs.

Across the table from where she ate, Skroop swallowed another mouthful and chirped happily, the sight bringing the tiniest ghost of a smile to Sera's face. She was blessed for fate to have granted her a valuable friend like Skroop, she truly was.

Turning her head to a framed photograph on the wall beside her, she let the memories take her back to that day at the Trainer's School. Back when it was just her, her mother, and her father…

-.-.-.-.-.

 _"_ _Today our lesson will be about Water-types," the teacher announced to the kindergarten class. "And Professor Sycamore was kind enough to lend us a Froakie and a Squirtle to play with!"_

 _Five-year-old Sera was the only one who didn't rush to pet the amphibian and reptile. The teacher never brought the Pokemon she liked. But every time she'd voice her concerns, using her polite words like her papa had taught her to, the teacher would shake her head and tell her that Dark-types and Poison-types were far too mean and nasty for children to play with. Dark-types would attack and steal for no reason and Poison-types were simply far too dangerous._

 _Not liking this, Sera would scowl, but never cry. Her papa always said that crying didn't solve anything, and he was right. He was always right._

 _Sometimes, she argued. Dark-types weren't all mean. The Scraggy that had stopped by with its Trainer had been lots of fun. She'd made great friends with it. And same went for the Zubat that had gotten trapped inside the school one night and gone hungry._

 _But the teacher always put her foot down and insisted that Sera listen to what she said, because she was the teacher and it was her responsibility to keep the children safe._

 _So today, when some of the other kids came over and insisted that she come meet the Froakie and Squirtle, she flatly refused. When they learned about Pokemon that SHE was interested in, she'd come. Until then, she was staying right here._

 _Recess was always at the end of the day, just before the parents came to take the kids home. Today, while Sera was playing by herself in the sandbox, a couple of boys in her class sauntered over and started teasing her._

 _"_ _Sera doesn't like the Pokemon everyone else likes," one of them jeered, kicking sand in her face. "Maybe she's scared!"_

 _"_ _Scared of a Squirtle?" the other one laughed. "Man, girls are such babies!"_

 _Annoyed, Sera was about to grab her plastic shovel for use as a weapon, when a pair of eyes gleamed from the bushes on the edge of the playground. Even as she turned around to look, a blood-red crawling Pokemon charged out with murder in its eyes._

 _"_ _SKORU!" the strangely-colored Skorupi shrieked, launching Poison Stings at a feverish pace._

 _The boys screamed with pain and ran, stumbling, for the teacher. Each had a purple spike sticking up out of their leg from the Skorupi's attack. The Bug-and-Poison-type hissed after them, warning them not to come back._

 _Fascinated, Sera hesitantly moved closer to the Pokemon. It saw her out of the corner of its eye and turned around, but didn't attack. Rather, it scuttled closer and chirruped._

 _"_ _C-Can I pet you?" the girl asked._

 _"_ _Rupi?" it replied, tilting its head. It moved closer and allowed her to run her tiny hand over its shell._

 _Sera grinned, excitement running through her veins like electricity. "You're so cool! And so pretty! Did you chase those mean boys away to protect me?"_

 _"_ _Skorrrr…" the Skorupi purred, greatly embarrassed by the praise._

 _Of course, problems started again when the teacher rushed over with her Pokemon, a Jigglypuff, to chase the nasty Pokemon away. Instantly, the Skorupi turned aggressive again, lashing out with an Iron Tail to swat Jigglypuff away. When the teacher advanced, it planted itself between her and Sera and hissed loudly._

 _"_ _HONCH!"_

 _An explosion rocked the playground, driving both sides away from each other. Sera's eyes widened when she saw her father striding forward, his Honchkrow strutting along beside him. If Sera knew that bird, it had used Dark Pulse to break up the fight. Dark-types were the COOLEST._

 _"_ _Now what's all this fighting about?" he asked, casting his serious frown around the area, unsure of who to turn his disapproval on._

 _Excited to show him her new friend, Sera scooped up the Skorupi in her arms and raced over as fast as her little legs would carry her._

 _"_ _Papa, look!" she squealed. "I made a new friend! It's a Skroopie!"_

 _"_ _Did you now?" her papa laughed, bending down to ruffle her hair. "Now, why don't you explain everything to me? I'm sure we can get this all worked out."_

 _In the end, the red Skorupi got to go home with Sera. She named it Skroop._

-.-.-.-.-.

Sera felt happy tears forming at that fondest of memories. She almost laughed to herself at how she had arrived at the nickname 'Skroop' – back then, she was too little to properly pronounce 'Skorupi'. It was embarrassing yet endearing at the same time.

Her father had really taken kindly to Skroop, once it was made clear that it was protecting his daughter. Even that old grouch Honchkrow had tolerated the newcomer, maybe even a little more than it did Sera (although she doubted it – she helped clean its feathers on occasion, which earned her some major respect points from the cantankerous bird). Back then, Sera and her father had been very close. She'd even wanted to work at his company when she got older. He had liked hearing that.

And then, a year after she'd met Skroop, he up and left. Forever.

Gradually, Sera's life started to go to hell. She endured more teasing from her classmates, which admittedly stopped once she got older and the boys found better things to do. Parents Day was always depressing. And her home life wasn't much better, with her mother slowly becoming more and more dependent on alcohol until eventually she would only leave the house to go out drinking. Fortunately, one of the only friends that Sera still hung onto introduced her to Nurse Joy when she was thirteen, and she managed to get a well-paying job to support her and her mother. That same friend eventually gave her an Inkay to help her out, which she soon named Nigel.

It had been twelve years. Twelve years spent wallowing in despair and a growing fear of her increasingly abusive mother, which eventually mutated into rage and a hatred for everything that made her miserable. Twelve _fricking_ years without her useless, backstabbing, _traitorous_ father.

No. No, that was wrong. Her father wasn't to blame. He was _never_ to blame. It was that _fucking_ mother of hers, the one who Sera had only found out had been cheating on her husband several years after his departure. That vile, filthy, _monstrous_ woman who couldn't keep her clothes on whenever she went out to socially mingle. She'd _ruined_ Sera's life and by Arceus she was going to _rip her heart out and_ –

The sound of shattering glass brought her back to her senses. She'd crushed her drinking glass in her hand, splattering the contents all over the table.

 _My Lady?_ asked Nigel.

He needn't have spoken. He knew perfectly well what was bothering her, and Skroop did too.

"I can't finish this," she declared, shoving her plate aside. "You two can have it if you want. I'm cleaning up and going to bed early."

She wiped the table clean in record time, then left her Pokemon behind as she stomped up to her room to change into her pajamas. Now clad in a shirt that left a bit of her middle exposed and a pair of fuzzy pants, she stormed right back out and into the small bathroom across the hall.

In the mirror above the sink, Sera's reflection glared hatefully back at her. But as clear as day, there was despair behind the anger. Her father had betrayed her and her mother was an empty, cruel shell of her former self. Was there anyone, besides her Pokemon, that she could trust anymore? She doubted it. What had she done to deserve this? Was the world out to get her? It certainly felt like it at times.

Sera hated it all. She hated her family for being so broken. She hated her job because of the circumstances that had led her to pursue it. She hated those other people, those that would pass her on the street and mutter about her and how hopeless she was as soon as she was out of earshot. She knew they made nasty comments about her, regardless of whether or not she could hear them. People were judgemental, scummy creatures that picked on you endlessly for being different. That's how she knew. And on the rare occasion she did overhear something, she'd spit acidic words at them and brandish Skroop's Poke Ball like a weapon, threatening to send them on a trip to the hospital emergency room if they so much as said another word.

Disgusted with herself, Sera slammed the bathroom door shut without washing up. She fled back to her room and flopped down on her bed, then let out a strangled moan that lasted at least a minute.

Not even her room felt like home, not really. It was claustrophobically crowded, with a bed that took up two-thirds of the available space and a computer desk that occupied the remaining third. In the corner, beside her desk, was a dresser stocked with clothes and video games, such as _Pocket Monster Hunter_ and _Resident Yveltal_. Posters and photographs covered every inch of the walls, further adding to the clutter – rock bands, famous Trainers and Kalos League winners, shirtless men, and other stuff that was typical merchandise for a nineteen-year-old girl to own.

One poster, though, stood out. It was written in Unovan, not Kalosian, and showcased the four best Trainers that had placed in the Vertress Conference two years ago – Trip, Stephan, Turner, and Volantes.

 _Volantes…_

That was who had inspired Sera to start training in earnest for the day she'd set off on a journey across Kalos. She'd seen him on the news. The Battle of Vertress had been riveting. She made sure to get her hands on every scrap of available footage, watching the news obsessively for weeks and scouring MewTube for months after that. Legendary Pokemon aside, he'd been a good enough Trainer to stand up to the leader of a criminal organization and win – even though the situation had gotten to a point where he'd had to make a move himself after all of his Pokemon had been spent.

That boy had shown her exactly what a Trainer strong enough to make it to the semifinals of a League tournament could do. If you had the strength and determination to make it that far, you and your Pokemon could _save the world_. That realization awed her. It inspired her to work hard on strengthening the bonds between her and her partners.

And now that she had her official license, she was almost ready. Almost ready to break out of the oppressive confines of her home that had never felt like home, and take her first steps out into the world. Arceus only knew that she needed it.

"We're going to do it," she murmured, still facing the poster. "I'll become as strong as the one that saved the world, Volantes Gurei… the… what did they call him?"

She sat up in her bed, mouth pressed into a firm line as she wracked her brain for the title she was searching for. Soon enough, though, it came to her.

"The White Hero," she said it aloud. "That was it. I'm going to become as powerful as him by winning the Kalos League. Then, I'll know for certain that I'm strong enough to achieve my real goal…"

She had the itch to pack. When she left, she'd want to do so as soon as possible, and packing for the journey would be out of the question at that point. So, all the better to do it now. With this in mind, Sera jumped off of her bed (or as best as she was able to in the limited space she had) and began to gather up things that she needed.

Spare clothes were a must.

She had a few jars of Pokemon food lying around, still well within the expiry date. Those got swept into the backpack as well.

Some dusty, empty Poke Balls, and her father's pocketknife with the retractable blade – even after so much time had passed, it was a gift from him to her that she still treasured.

Finally, she had her secret stash of funds that she'd been saving up over the past two years. Her paychecks from the Pokemon Center were spread thinly enough so that she could only save a tiny percentage each time – all the rest had to go into food, drink, electricity bills, et cetera – but she had finally managed to scrape together a reasonable amount to sustain her for the first couple of weeks of her journey.

She reached into the secret stash, and…

…empty.

Freezing on the spot, Sera felt a cold flash of fear. She couldn't have lost it. It just wasn't possible. She couldn't stand the thought of starting over and staying home for another two years!

 _My Lady, what is it?_ Nigel called concernedly, floating swiftly into the room.

"It's gone!" she replied, feeling close to panic. "All the money I'd been saving for our journey!"

Skroop scuttled into the room, chittering with worry. "Skorupi skor?"

Withdrawing her hand, Sera spoke in a voice she wasn't used to speaking in, an uncertain one that trembled with fright. "I-I don't know… it was there when we left for work, w-wasn't it?"

She bent down to peer into the secret stash, hoping to find the money pushed into one of the back corners. As she did, she caught a faint whiff coming from inside, a scent that was unmistakably familiar. The panic left her face, and her brow crinkled with confusion as the information took its sweet time to fully sink into her brain.

And when it did, that's when the rage began to build.

"That _does it_ ," Sera hissed, her tone so murderous that Skroop and Nigel immediately backed off. She stood up all at once, fury filling her eyes and spilling forth in a deadly stream strong enough to make a Haunter sweat. Retrieving her backpack and swinging it over her shoulder, the furious girl kicked the door open with a loud *BANG* and thundered downstairs, where she greatly anticipated doing something she should have done a long time ago.

Despite her willowy frame trembling uncontrollably with the emotion threatening to spill out from inside her like a river from a broken dam, she never forgot her rule of suppressing her anger and hiding it deep inside for the day where she'd need it. She clamped her mouth shut and kept her muscles stiff so as to maintain as much control over herself as she could.

It was hard. Constantly holding her emotions back, surprisingly, caused physical pain for her at the worst of times – a slow burning sensation, like it was consuming her heart little by little – but now was the most painful of all. She actually stopped her progress on the stairs and grimaced, feeling her chest throb.

Something had set her off, and now it was all threatening to come out at once. No. That couldn't happen. She had to force it back, no matter how torturous it was to do.

The two Pokemon had caught up to her by the time she composed herself and fixed a neutral expression back onto her face. Nigel didn't bother hiding his concern, but Skroop was vibrating with anger, mad at whatever it was that had made his human friend mad.

Sera resumed her march down the stairs, now with a much better hold on her anger. In her head, she grimly planned to make this brief and with as little fuss as possible.

When she left the staircase, she saw that the kitchen door was open, allowing the bright yellow light to spill into the hallway. Wordlessly, she walked stiffly inside and found her mother up and about, reaching into the cupboard to grab a bottle of headache pills. The sound her feet made on the smooth tiles caused the De Lis woman to turn around with a blank, confused stare.

It took a second for realization to make it into her hangover-afflicted brain. "You left your dishes out on the table again," she grunted, already turning away from her daughter. "I keep telling you to clean up after yourself, young lady."

 _Oh that's rich, coming from you,_ Sera immediately thought, but swallowed the snappish reply before it could escape from her tongue.

"You stole the money from work I was saving," she accused, carefully keeping her tone calm.

" _You_ were keeping it from _me_ , stupid girl," her mother growled without even turning back, searching around some more in the cupboards. "As long as you're living under my roof, I decide what you do with your paychecks."

"I _earn_ every last Poke-dollar I make," Sera replied evenly. Already, she could feel the familiar boiling sensation of stirring rage in her blood. "I should be allowed to keep some for myself."

The woman turned around, tangled black hair falling over her face but doing nothing to hide her poisonous look. She said again, "Stupid girl. _I'm_ your mother and you do as _I_ say. You're supposed to be using that money to pay the bills, not hiding it away for yourself like a selfish Munchlax."

Bristling at the unfairness of the remark, Sera irritably protested, "I _do_ , which you'd know if you ever paid attention. I pay for everything except for that disgusting poison you insist on going out nearly every night for. I work to keep us alive, not to fuel your addiction."

"Don't talk back to me," the woman snapped at her. "I'm too tired to bother with you, so go up to your room and don't make a single peep until morning. You're lucky I'm willing to let you off unpunished for your selfishness."

The irony of it all almost made Sera laugh. But her growing anger made that impossible. The carefully-composed expression she had taken so long to master began to crumble, slowly being replaced with a dark snarl.

 _Just say, 'Yes mother', and do as she says,_ a part of her mind spoke up. It was the part that had dominated much of her life up to now, the part that knew it would be easier to do what she was told rather than get another bruising.

Apparently, she'd stayed still a second too long. Her mother seized a random item off the shelf, a plastic cup, and hurled it at her. "GO!" she bellowed. "I've had _enough_ out of you today!"

For a split second, Sera's mind flashed back to the last beating she'd had to endure, somewhere around three weeks ago. It was painful enough to make her hesitate, to make her consider obeying for the good of her health.

But she didn't. Things were different now, she realized.

 _I'm a Trainer. I can leave any time I want._

She glared venomously at her mother's expression, which was angry and scornful despite the underlying exhaustion. Ever since the sole man of the house had left – which was her mother's own damn fault – she'd become more and more like this as time passed, a hollow, alcohol-fueled husk of a person. Not like that person was a saint to begin with, but the transformation had left Sera sickened.

And just now, she'd managed to do the impossible and stoop to a new low – robbing her own daughter of the fruits of her labor, all to satisfy her addiction.

Suddenly, Sera became very aware of the pocketknife's weight in the pocket of her skirt.

 _A flash of silver, and she slit her mother's throat with a single anger-fueled swing… Blood spilled on the floor and flew upwards to dot her otherwise flawless skin… She wiped it off with a finger and stuck it in her mouth, and she could taste the iron… as she stomped on her downed oppressor's neck, encouraging the flow of blood to expand the growing red puddle on the floor_ –

The image in Sera's mind's eye was suddenly cut short with a deafening CRACK of skin on skin and a supernova of pain that exploded through her face. Cheek stinging like Beedrill poison, Sera stumbled back to slam her shoulder into the wall. She pressed her hand weakly against it, breathing hard as her heart raced from the shock to her system.

 _Don't let it out,_ she told herself. _Don't let it out. Save it…_

Her mother advanced, her arm drawn back as she prepared another heartless strike to her daughter's face. "I said GO, you WORTHLESS BITCH!"

She braced herself for the second slap. _SMACK._ Mewling with pain, Sera went into the wall again, biting her tongue to stop herself from screaming.

That was when Sera gave in and let it consume her.

In the next instant, twelve whole years of hatred were propelling her fist into her mother's sadly-fragile nose.

*CR-A-A-A-ACK*

The sound of shattering cartilage echoed through the kitchen, followed by the sound of the De Lis woman stumbling backwards into the table and then crashing to the floor.

"Don't. You. _Fucking. Touch me!_ " Sera screeched, looming over her mother like a spirit from Hell come to wreak her vengeance. "I'm _done_ with you, _you hear me?! I'M FUCKING DONE!_ "

All of a sudden, Skroop was there. He heard her outburst and felt her overbearing rage, and came to her defense with a terrible shriek. "SKOOO-RUPI!"

Pin Missiles detonated against the floor, blasting holes in the tiles, and the table as well, shattering the wood and causing it to collapse on Sera's mother. The broken material shifted as the woman fought to get out, but Sera slammed her shoe down on her hand and prompted a shrill cry from her mother.

" _I'm done with you,_ " Sera repeated in a harsh hiss, her voice sizzling. "Too long I've put up with you, sustaining us with _my_ money and getting nothing but _shit_ from you in return. I'm leaving, and you can lay on that couch for eternity for all I care, _because you'll have fucking starved to death without me._ "

For once, her mother did not reply. She barely even moved.

Drawing her foot back, Sera landed a final, sharp kick to the disgusting woman's ribs. Scornful at the lack of a reaction, the dark-haired girl swept out of the kitchen and back up to her room to change into her regular clothes.

She was leaving _this instant_. She'd get a room at the Pokemon Center. She'd sleep outside on a park bench. _Anything_ , as long as it didn't mean staying in this shithole a single minute longer.

Fully dressed in her usual black shirt, tights, skirt, and spiked collar, Sera grabbed her backpack and stormed back down the stairs, Poke Balls in her hands. On her way down, Skroop jumped off the railing to land on her shoulder, while Nigel floated silently behind. The Inkay's silence could practically be _felt_ , but Sera was too furious to care.

They passed by the kitchen on their way to the front door, but stopped when they saw movement. Sera's mother was sitting up, brushing dust and splinters of wood off of herself, and had a murderous light in the eyes that were still half-glazed from her hangover.

"Gonna… beat you… within an inch of your life…" she panted, voice low and menacing.

But by now, Sera had gotten a handle on her anger. When she next spoke, she spoke coldly and calmly. "Nigel, Psywave."

He flinched, body bobbing in the air. _M-My Lady…!_

At this, she snorted and paid him no more attention. "Fine. Skroop, Iron Tail."

And, unlike the Dark-and-Psychic-type, the shiny red Skorupi didn't hesitate. With a noise halfway between a squeak and a screech, he lunged forward, the force of his jump carrying him as high as the ceiling allowed.

Sera was already on her way out the door when she heard the sound of Skroop's steely tail connecting with one of her mother's unfortunate body parts, almost surely knocking the woman out. The corner of her mouth lifted grimly.

 _That felt good._

The sky was pitch-black when she stepped outside. Shivering slightly in the cold breeze, Sera lifted a Poke Ball and returned Nigel, then gathered her faithful little Skroop in her arms and started the long walk back to the Pokemon Center.

"Good, Skroopie," she cooed to the Scorpion Pokemon.

"Skoruuuuu…" he purred back, flicking his tail back and forth with pleasure.

She was free.

After twelve years, she was finally ready. The Kalos League awaited her, and once she had laid waste to that… it would be time to face her _true_ goal.

-.-.-.-.-.

The spacious living quarters were very dark, the only light being given off by a lamp that painted about half the room in dark red light. The other half remained stooped in shadow.

The atmosphere did not help calm Celosia's nerves, stretched to their limit. She stood completely and utterly motionless for what felt like years after closing her unusually-colored lips at the end of her report. She was still waiting for her superior to respond to her – and no matter what, she swore to herself, she would not show weakness.

After all, even if there was no danger in showing it to said superior, the other scientists would tease her _endlessly_. Then she'd be that much closer to snapping and breaking one of their necks, and then _that_ would get her in trouble with her boss.

At last, he spoke, so softly that he almost didn't break the thickening silence. "I see," his voice came from the most shadowy part of the room. The sofa let out a tiny squeak as he leaned back in his seat. "Tell me, how many cells did you find exactly?"

"Only one, sir," Celosia informed him, scowling to herself. She allowed her gloved hands to clench into shaking fists. "I would have found more if those Trainer brats hadn't interfered."

"And you say the Froakie your squad had been seeking escaped as well?" her boss asked. His deep voice betrayed no emotion.

This time, Celosia actually growled. "Yes. Also the fault of those meddling children."

Although she could not see it, she knew her boss was smiling based on the tone of his reply. "Do not put too much blame on them. They were merely in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Then, by his next statement, she could tell that the smile had vanished. "A pity, though," he lamented, seemingly to no-one in particular. "Such a rare and powerful Pokemon, as well as such clearly spirited young Trainers as those, would have been valuable assets to Team Flare."

She snorted. With sniveling little Pokemon like those? They'd be better off dying with the other billions when Team Flare lit the coming inferno and set it upon the world.

"Now, Celosia," her superior spoke calmly. "Aliana came back earlier with the most interesting news."

"Oh? How interesting?" the purple-haired woman asked. Her mouth quirked up in a sneer.

 _If it's coming from Aliana of all people, this should be good…_ she thought privately.

A hand hidden by darkness reached over to tap a button on a remote, and a holographic screen suddenly appeared out of thin air to display a short video clip. The screen was shaking and the quality of the footage wasn't the best, but Celosia was easily able to tell that it was an explosion that felled a group of Team Flare grunts. Then, the video panned upwards, showing the top of a nearby skyscraper – as well as a figure silhouetted against the setting sun. The mysterious being was soon joined by two others, and together, they disappeared behind another building in a single jump.

The hologram flickered off, leaving Celosia to ponder what she had just seen.

"So…" she began. It was so hard to believe that she almost couldn't get the words out. "Blaziken Mask has some new accomplices, it seems."

"Indeed," her superior rumbled. "Although Aliana failed to capture them, we must set out again at once. They are already too close to discovering the location of our secret base underneath Lumiose City. Take your usual squad to the location I will be sending you shortly and await further orders."

"And what of the rookies that failed me yesterday?" Celosia bit out, still mad about the less-than-impressive mission results.

"They will be useful if those Trainers you described appear again," he replied shortly. "If necessary, I will send one of the admins to assist you. I will be in the area as well, for business reasons. We have no reason to fail this time."

Celosia made sure to bow deeply before her departure, even though he couldn't see her at the moment. "Yes, sir," she answered. "We will capture the Mega Evolving Pokemon and their stones for use in the furthering of Team Flare's grand design."

She stepped out of the room, and the doors slid smoothly shut behind her with nary a whisper, leaving the spacious living quarters deep in silence once more.

-.-.-.-.-.

 **Told you I was thinking about bumping this up to an M-rating.**

 **Sera's… not normal. I made her this way mostly because I wanted to write a character that was technically "good" but still borderline villain material. Then, just so that you guys wouldn't accuse me of making her super-edgy for the heck of it, I did my best to come up with a believable backstory to help justify her… attitude. I wouldn't know anything about divorce or child abuse because I come from a very good family, but I don't think that anyone would be totally sane after enduring twelve years of a life like Sera's. So yes, hopefully this clears some stuff up.**

 **And after finding out about Celosia's mission, Team Flare's scheming again! But what's this about admins…?**

 **Sera: "Review. Or not. I don't care."**

 **Next chapter** **: Fight Amongst the Flowers**

 **Chapter Question #10: What's your favorite wild location in Pokemon X & Y?**

 **Mine would have to be Route 14, or Winding Woods.**

 **-.-.-.-.-.**

 **Sera's Team :  
** **Skroop (Skorupi, male)  
** **Ability: Sniper**

 **Nigel (Inkay, male)  
** **Ability: Contrary**


	16. Fight Amongst the Flowers

**_Chapter 15 – Fight Amongst the Flowers_**

 **Last time on "Flight of a Legend"…**

 **The same night the Gurei siblings had their battle at the Gym, Sera and her Pokemon headed home from work for much-needed food and rest. She'd just officially become a Trainer and was waiting for the right moment to start on her journey, but unfortunately, that moment came sooner than anticipated when her mother's actions proved too much for her to bear. In a fit of temper that she had been trying to keep under control, Sera violently attacked her mother and fled the house for good.**

-.-.-.-.-.

"Your Pokemon are all healed and ready to go!" Nurse Joy informed Volan and Thrin, bright and early the morning after their epic battle with the local Gym Leader. "Here are your Poke Balls, and we hope to see you again!"

The woman in pink gave the Gurei siblings a short bow as they exited the Center to meet Trevor, who was waiting for them on a bench nearby.

"Everything good?" the orange-haired boy asked, fiddling with something in his hands.

"Indeed," replied Volan. He peered through the transparent bottom of Edgar's ball and saw the Murkrow blink up at him. "I'm glad the Pokemon could get enough rest last night. They really deserved it after their performance last night."

"Didn't they?" Thrin agreed. "Akuma, come on out!"

She popped the ball open and allowed the Vivillon to fly free. He did so with a mischievous giggle and yanked on his Trainer's ponytail, which produced a yelp of pain.

"Oh, you little devil," she said affectionately, reaching backwards to stroke Akuma's head.

" _You know you love me!_ " he responded, giggling some more.

Automatically, Volan sniped at him, "She's not going to for long if you keep –"

He paused, his brain finally catching up with his mouth. "Hold on," he muttered. "Did I just hear what Akuma said?"

"Wait, did you?" Thrin said with a start. "What did he say?"

"He insisted that you loved him despite his pranks," Volan summarized, bemused. "That was fast… I mean, it's not like he's one of my Pokemon…"

"That battle we shared must have put the two of you closer together than I thought," she commented. She glanced up at her Pokemon and asked, "Do you feel any closer to him, Akuma?"

The Bug-and-Flying-type, who had been looking back and forth between the two humans in confusion, fluttered his wings and shrugged. " _I don't know, I guess? He's pretty cool._ "

Trevor watched the exchange with fascination. "I knew you could talk to Pokemon, Volan, but seeing you do it with a Pokemon you just met is even more impressive!"

Feeling embarrassed at being praised, Volan replied awkwardly, "It's weird to get complimented that something that's second nature to me now… and what's that you're playing with, Trevor?" He pointed at the object he now saw clutched in his hands.

His friend flinched at the unexpectedness of the question, then held up the object in question with a hesitant yet proud smile. It was a small green camera with a long strap on the side. Its lens flashed when it caught the sun's light, matching his exposed teeth.

"I bought it while I was waiting for you to finish in the Pokemon Center!" Trevor answered. "When we were leaving the Gym last night, Viola stopped me and gave me some photography tips. She must've seen the way I was eyeing her camera…" He chuckled nervously.

"That's great, Trevor!" Thrin exclaimed, plopping down beside him. "Maybe you don't have your eye on the Pokemon League this year, but it's always nice to have a hobby."

He blushed profusely and toyed with the camera again. "I already tried it out on Charmander. He seemed to like it, and I got some pretty good shots. Want to see?"

When Thrin nodded, he passed the camera over to her. It looked like he was taking extra caution when he handed it over, as if he was scared he would drop it. When his fingers brushed hers, in fact, he almost did.

"S-Sorry," he stammered, ducking his head shamefully. "I-I should've m-made sure you had a good grip on it first."

"It didn't fall and break, that's the important thing," Thrin replied, peering at the device's screen as she flipped through the few pictures Trevor had already taken. "Hey, these are pretty cool. Come take a look, Volan."

He did so, and saw that the half dozen or so pictures were all of Charmander, whether the Fire-type was deliberately posing or investigating something interesting in the nearby flower bed. Volan was certainly no photographer himself, but he thought they were all very good. So he told Trevor as much.

"Th-Thanks," the orange-haired boy replied, smiling shyly. "Viola told me I c-could come back any time if I ever needed advice, which I thought was really kind of her…"

Volan was about to reply, when a loud growl from nearby silenced him before he could utter the words forming on his tongue. He shot a pointed look at Thrin, who had the decency to appear embarrassed.

"We haven't even had breakfast yet," she complained, placing a hand on her stomach. "Let's go find a place to eat and then hit the road. The next Gym is in Lumiose City, isn't it?"

Placing a restraining hand on her thigh, Volan told her, "Hey, hold your Blitzle. Don't forget, we've got other things to do in Lumiose as well. There's a ton of places to look around, for one. For another, you should prioritize looking for more Pokemon to add to your team before we challenge the Gym. And finally, we have to visit Mom and Professor Sycamore at the lab."

Right after that last sentence, Thrin's backpack unzipped itself. The sound of the zipper made everyone jump, but it was only Froakie peeking out.

"Froak?" she asked.

"Oh, good morning," Thrin greeted the Water-type, recovering from her fright. "We're going to another city. Maybe we'll even find you a Trainer that can take proper care of you."

Froakie retreated back into the backpack with a muttered, "Kee Froakie froak. _Wake me when we get there._ "

"I've never seen a Froakie that lazy before," Trevor remarked.

A muffled reply came from inside Thrin's pack. "Kee. _Heard that._ "

"She might spend a lot of time sleeping, but we've all seen that she can really battle where it counts!" replied Thrin. "Heck, I wouldn't mind keeping her around if she wants to."

"Let's get her to the professor's lab first," advised Volan. "He might have plans. Anyway, didn't you want to eat?"

Slinging her bag back over her shoulders, his sister replied emphatically, "Arceus, yes. Food, then travel. Route 4 is where we're heading, yes?"

Volan was able to confirm that after a glance at his map. "Yep, Route 4," he said. "From what I hear, it's supposed to be quite lovely. Trevor, you could take some good pictures there."

Liking that idea very much, Trevor nodded enthusiastically. He playfully fiddled with his new camera again, excited by the idea of the opportunities that lay ahead of him. When he noticed that Volan and Thrin were already walking further into town, he yelped and jumped off of the bench, frantically scurrying after them.

-.-.-.-.-.

Route 4 was, indeed, very lovely. Unlike most routes that Volan and Thrin had traveled on, though, this one was not a forest or a grassland or a barren waste. In fact, it was more like the path that connected Vaniville Town to Aquacorde Town. Perhaps that was appropriate, as this one's purpose was to join Santalune City to Lumiose City.

As Volan observed, Route 4 was far less 'wild' than other places he had been to. The dirt paths that stretched out for kilometers were wide and well-traveled, bordered on all sides by well-manicured lawns. The majority of the plant life that was found here, as he soon discovered, was made up of neatly-trimmed hedges and beautiful flower gardens – most of which were absolutely gigantic, to boot. There were plenty of benches to rest on, and decorative fountains gushed clean water to add a bit more aesthetic to the already picturesque route.

If Volan hadn't known anything about Kalos history, he would've wondered why Route 4 was so much more… well, 'civilized', for lack of a better word, than the other wild places he'd seen. It was clear as crystal that this entire stretch of land between cities was well-taken care of by people, not left to grow naturally on its own. But as it happened, he did know that it was originally supposed to be a king's garden – _the_ king's garden – back in ancient times when the ruler of Kalos reigned from his palace in what was now Central Lumiose. It seemed as though that the citizens of Santalune wished to preserve that history by keeping Route 4 in as good a shape as possible.

"It's also one of the best places in the world to find Fairy-type Pokemon," Volan added, once he was done explaining all this to Thrin. "At least, so I've heard. The only place I've ever seen a Fairy-type for myself was at Vertress City…"

"Cool!" she remarked, holding up a fist in excitement. "Those are the Pokemon that can beat up Dragons, right? Maybe I could get one for my team!"

"F-Fairy-types?" Trevor repeated, flinching. He twitched his head back and forth, like he was making sure there wasn't anyone following them.

"Hmm?" Thrin asked, turning her head to regard him. "Are you scared of them?"

He met her eyes briefly, then indignantly lifted his chin with a fiery blush. "N-No! Th-They just m-make me uncomfortable, th-that's all."

"Hey, I'm not judging you," the Gurei girl amended, raising her hands in a gesture of surrender. "If it makes you feel any better, Ice-types make me shiver."

Looking back at her with confusion in his eyes, Trevor inquired, "B-But you have a Vanilluxe, right?"

"She's the exception," she told him, waving a hand. "Otherwise, I'm not a fan."

He continued to look at her oddly for a few more seconds, before she glanced back at him again and made him blush again for being caught staring. Hastily, he stammered out, "S-So, why is this p-place so good for F-Fairy-types?"

Although he didn't positively know the answer to that question, Volan did have a guess or two. "I'd say it's mainly because the king who ruled over Kalos took such good care of this place, it attracted them from all over. And because this place is obviously still taken good care of, they've made it their permanent habitat."

"I-It's true that Fairies do love flowers," agreed Trevor. "M-Most of them, anyway."

"This would be a good opportunity to catch one if either of you feel so inclined, actually," Volan mused, turning his gaze toward a particularly large patch of red flowers coming up ahead near the path on which they walked. "We've been walking for most of the morning, so we could take a break and see what we can find."

Flinching again, Trevor went pale and frantically shook his head. "N-No, n-no thanks. I-I'll stay h-here. Th-Thrin c-can go ahead."

Shrugging, Thrin left the two of them and waded into the nearest flower patch. What kind of flowers they were, Volan had no idea, but they were tall enough to grow up to Thrin's waist. Soon, she had disappeared behind one of the many ornate hedges that grew across the route, although Volan stared after her for a short while just in case she came right back.

When she didn't, he walked to the other side of the path – where there were no flowers growing in the immediate vicinity – and sat down on a bench that had been placed there for the convenience of travelers passing this way. After a moment, Trevor joined him, immediately taking out his camera and peering around at the area through its viewfinder.

"Searching for a picturesque view to take a picture of?" Volan inquired, watching his friend while he dug around in his backpack for something.

"Trying to," came the shorter boy's mildly frustrated reply. "I thought it'd be cool to take pictures of all the places we travel to in addition to all the Pokemon we meet. But this place doesn't have a good enough view."

Feeling his fingers close around the object he wanted, Volan pulled it out into the open – a guidebook. He flipped it open to a section about Route 4 and quickly scanned it.

"There's supposed to be a huge fountain around the middle of the route," Trevor was saying. "Maybe I could take a picture there…"

Volan nodded in reply absentmindedly, half of his attention on his friend's words and the other half concentrated on what he was skimming over in the guidebook. He was curious about what Pokemon could be typically found on Route 4, just in case any of them happened to appeal to him as a potential member of his Flying-type-exclusive team.

"Aha," he said, finding the information he wanted. When Trevor lowered his camera and regarded him with a clear question in his eyes, the Gurei boy elaborated, "There are actually a couple of Pokemon that can be found here that I wouldn't mind checking out. Would you mind waiting here for Thrin and I?"

"No problem," Trevor replied. "G-Good luck."

After checking to make sure that his two occupied Poke Balls were secure at his belt, Volan strode off to find the Pokemon that had piqued his interest. According to the picture in the guidebook, there were actually two Flying-type families that were native to this more human-developed part of Kalos – the first was Ledyba and its evolution, Ledian, and the second was Combee and Vespiquen. It was worth scouting out the area and seeing if he couldn't find one, or even both.

Eventually, Volan decided he would search among the flower bed made predominantly up out of yellow flowers. The patch he had his eye on wasn't too far off from where he had left Trevor, and looked deceptively small, but he could tell that it extended behind the hedges surrounding it. There was bound to be something in there, for sure.

The flowers rustled softly when he stepped amongst them. It was more difficult to move through these plants than the tall grass that had dominated Route 2, as the stems grew close together and were much larger and thicker than mere grass blades. He waded through them with some effort, careful not to accidentally crush any of them, and kept his eyes on his feet so as not to accidentally step on a wild Pokemon hiding in the garden.

When nothing immediately came out, Volan moved to the very back of the garden and around the hedge, where the flowers indeed continued growing. And here, out of sight of the well-traveled paths that stretched across the main body of the route, there was actually some activity going on. Combee flitted between flowers here and there, dipping down to pollinate one and then rising up to head for the next one immediately after. The flowers themselves would move slightly in certain patches, signaling that there were wild Pokemon lurking beneath the obscuring blanket of yellow.

Slipping his Pokedex from out of his pocket, Volan raised it so that he could scan the Combee from a distance. Thankfully, the little bee Pokemon were from the Sinnoh region of the eastern continent, so the device would have some information about it. He read through the flavor text when he scanned his first Combee – they were three individuals that formed a trio, they gathered honey for their hive, only females evolved… that kind of thing. But what he was really interested in were their power levels and gender. If he wanted one for his team, he would need to capture a female, and apparently those were rarer…

 _Is that one?_ he realized all of a sudden, as yet another Combee buzzed by. It was hard to make out at this distance, but he thought he saw a red patch on its central head.

He called out Piper, who landed on his shoulder without a moment's pause. "Do you see that Combee some distance away? The one with the red crown?"

"Chindah?" Piper asked. " _We're going to fight it?_ "

Guessing correctly the meaning behind her question, Volan responded, "We'll battle it and try to add it to the team. Go in there with a Quick Attack – not enough to scare it off, but enough to let it know we want to challenge it."

Flicking her tail feathers with an affirmative chirp, Piper jumped off of his shoulder and blasted forward. The trail of white light she left in her wake frightened the other Combee and scattered them, but the Combee that Volan was after saw it coming and swerved to the side to avoid it.

"Beeeee!" it let out a high-pitched hum of annoyance, and vibrated its wings fiercely to send a small Gust roaring toward Piper.

"Agility!" Volan called. "Then let Combee have it with Peck!"

"Fleeeeeetch!" Piper screamed, blurring out of the way of the destructive wind and letting it tear flowers out of the ground instead.

"Bee-bee!" Combee buzzed irritably. It spun in place, whipping out bursts of wind in a series of short Gusts that looked almost like an improvised Air Cutter.

Blinking, Volan realized he'd never seen a wild Pokemon do that before – and if he had, he couldn't remember. This Combee might serve him well as a team member.

With a spin of her own, Piper darted around the Gusts, then zoomed in for a finishing blow. Her beak burst with white light, cutting a swathe through the very air as she rammed it home into the point where Combee's three heads joined.

 _It's super-effective!_ Volan thought.

But much to his surprise, the Bug-and-Flying-type endured it. It darted away, putting distance between itself and Piper's beak, then forward. Tiny fangs grew from its central head's mouth, and it bit down on the back of the Fletchinder's neck.

"Fleeeet-chindah!" she squawked in response to the Bug Bite. " _That tickles! Fangs off, honey-sucker!_ "

She spun again, the resulting whiplash easily shaking the small insect loose. Before Volan could shout another order, she angrily slammed a Peck into Combee's body, then followed it up with a Quick Attack that smashed a hole into the otherwise perfect carpet of flowers.

Startled, Volan could only stare as Piper flew back to his side and lifted her beak with satisfaction. "Chindah, fletch," she said to him. " _There. Have at it._ "

He wasn't proud of the way Piper acted without orders like that – if they wanted to be a team, they had to trust one another and be totally in sync, and yet Piper still showed traces of a fierce independence. He would need to work with her more… but later, as he had to admit that her battle with Combee had produced promising results. He pushed the incident to the back of his mind, grabbing a spare Poke Ball and pressing the button to activate it.

"Here goes," he muttered, pulling his arm back. "Poke Ball, go…!"

Suddenly, before he could throw the capsule, Combee slowly rose above the garden, grimacing with all three of its faces and listing slightly to one side. It squeezed its eyes shut and seemed to steel itself, then let out a loud buzz that resonated throughout the area. Before Volan's very eyes, more Combee flocked to its defense, all of them angry.

"Looks like we'll need Edgar's help for this," murmured Volan, exchanging the empty ball for the Murkrow's one. "Ready to work out some more?"

"Chiiiiin-dah!" Piper shrieked, spreading her wings menacingly.

However, exactly at that moment, a terrified scream rang out from somewhere nearby.

With a start, Volan realized, _That was Trevor!_

"Change of plans, Piper!" he announced, already turning tail. "We need to go help Trevor! Use Ember to give us some cover!"

This time, the Fletchinder obeyed right away, firing a random scattering of fiery clouds at the Combee swarm. The bee Pokemon dipped and dodged every which way, and when the clouds exploded, they produced smoke that made them woozy. Having successfully distracted the Combee, Piper followed after her master.

Back on the path, Volan whirled around to face the direction from which he had originally come. About a hundred meters away, sure enough, there was Trevor – but he wasn't alone!

As Volan got closer, he saw now that Trevor was being surrounded by a group of Pokemon that floated in a globe-shaped formation around him. While the poor boy was crouched with his hands over his head, the Pokemon were in continuous motion, constantly trying to get close to him before being warded off by his hands. They appeared to be small, sprite-like creatures, all of which were perched atop flat-petaled flowers of varying colors.

"Aren't those some kind of Fairy-type?" Volan wondered aloud when he got close enough to see them clearly. They seemed dead set on harassing Trevor, chirping shrilly and continuously swooping closer to him in elegant, floaty motions.

"H-Help!" Trevor moaned. "Th-They're all over m-me! O-Oh, I knew th-this w-would happen…"

"Get them with Quick Attack!" Volan ordered Piper.

Little more than a red blur, Piper squawked a battle cry as she hit one fairy after another, seemingly ricocheting off of each one in order to hit the next in line. However, Volan could already see that more were coming to replace their fallen brethren, attracted to the scene by who knows what.

And even better? Now they were ignoring Trevor altogether and uniting against their attacker. Needless to say, that was Volan.

"Edgar, come out and help!" he shouted, tossing the Poke Ball and releasing his other Flying-type.

He took one look at the situation and mused, " _Now them's some angry pixies, alright._ "

Just how angry they were, though, was promptly demonstrated as each one released a spinning gust of sparkly pink wind with a single, unified squeak. "LAAAAA-FEY!"

"Wing Attack and Quick Attack!" Volan ordered. The wave of pink sparkles was bearing down on them, and fast!

The two birds charged forward into the sparkles, splitting it apart as if it were a solid object and preventing it from reaching Volan. Once there was no longer any forward resistance, they charged into the group of Fairy-types and scattered them like dust.

Trevor looked up hesitantly, just in time to see Volan come to his rescue. Shakily, he plucked a Poke Ball from his belt and stammered, "Ch-Charmander, I n-need your assistance! Use S-Scratch!"

Immediately, the Lizard Pokemon emerged and started slashing, but something was off. His claws extended into silvery-colored 'gloves' that made soft clanging sounds whenever they hit one of the Pokemon.

"Metal Claw?" he questioned, a light dawning in his eyes. "Y-Yes, good work, Charmander!"

The sound of running feet could be heard now that the Fairy-types had been dazed, and Volan turned in time to see Thrin take a position at his side, Akuma in tow. "We were chasing a Pokemon when we heard Trevor scream. Are those little things the ones bothering him?"

"Seems so," he answered. "But they're not gone yet, just stunned."

She grinned. "Perfect! Let's get them good so that they don't hurt Trevor anymore."

Both of them were very surprised to hear Trevor protest, though. "N-No! Th-The Flabébé didn't hurt me or a-anything. They're j-just… um… they're just l-like that, okay?"

Somehow, Volan got the feeling that Trevor was hiding something. But he gave his friend the benefit of the doubt, anyhow.

More Flabébé were already on their way, visible from far away as small figures floating from out of the flower gardens and straight toward them. The ones that Edgar, Piper, and Charmander had attacked were already regrouping. There was one Flabébé, though, that seemed particularly irritated – it had a white flower and was already lashing out indiscriminately with Vine Whip, hitting its companions as much as its foes.

"Parry with Wing Attack!" the Gurei boy yelled to Edgar.

"And Akuma, Protect!" Thrin shouted.

Akuma moved to Trevor's side and conjured a shimmering green barrier in front of him, deflecting any stray Vine Whips that may have otherwise put him and Charmander at risk. Meanwhile, Edgar dug his talons into the dirt and swiftly swatted away any strikes that came close to hitting him or his Trainer.

"Fla la bey!" the Flabébé huffed. Its vines retreated back into the stem on its flower.

The crowd of other Flabébé let out another unified cry and unleashed another wave of sparkly wind. It was powerful enough to knock all four of the Trainers' Pokemon aside, but not nearly enough to keep them down.

"That was F-Fairy Wind!" exclaimed Trevor. He pointed at the swarm and ordered, "Charmander, use Ember!"

"Edgar, Piper, give them a Peck!" Volan added.

"And Akuma, Struggle Bug!" finished Thrin.

The four Pokemon let out their challenging cries as they all launched their attacks, Charmander remaining stationary while the other three launched themselves with force at the cloud of Flabébé. Half of them, though, replied with Fairy Wind to cancel out the embers that Charmander shot at them, while the other half charged forwards with Tackle to repel the three fliers. Both sides, it seemed, were evenly matched.

"Bey bey!" squeaked the white-flowered Flabébé. More vines extended from its flower and whipped furiously at them, forcing their Pokemon to back off.

But when the other Flabébé advanced – apparently trying for another go at Trevor based on where their eyes were trained – the white-flowered one seemingly switched sides. It shrieked surprisingly loudly, given its diminutive size, and aimed its Vine Whip attacks at them, lashing them into a collective retreat.

"What is it doing?" questioned Thrin. "It seems more inclined to attack the other Flabébé than us."

Indeed, the lashes of the little Fairy-type's vines were so fierce that the other Flabébé were actually being scared away, although not all at once. They left in twos and threes, and then fours and fives as the white-flowered Flabébé continued to swat at them.

"Whatever it's doing, we may as well help it out," Volan remarked. Glaring determinedly, he ordered, "Piper, Edgar, use Peck!"

There was a great fluttering of feathered wings as the Fletchinder and Murkrow took off, slamming their glowing beaks into the center of the Flabébé crowd. More of the tiny Pokemon fled.

"Follow it up with Gust, Akuma!" called Thrin.

" _See ya, wouldn't want to be ya!_ " the elegant-patterned Vivillon giggled, sweeping even more of the Flabébé away with the strength of the move.

The last of the swarm were dealt with by the strangely aggressive white-flowered Flabébé, sending them packing with repeated Vine Whips. Only when the rest of its kind were all gone did the Flabébé return its focus to the Trainers and their Pokemon – a behavior that didn't make any sense to Volan at all.

"Flaaaaaa!" it cried out in a shrill little voice.

Although it shouldn't have been possible for such a small creature floating on something that should've encountered major wind resistance, the Flabébé swooped down with shocking speed directly towards Trevor, panicking him. He backpedaled so rapidly that he tripped and fell flat on his rear end, his face turning white. His backpack, half-open for some reason – perhaps he had been searching through it when the Flabébé first swarmed him, Volan assumed – spilled its contents onto the ground behind him.

"Ch-Charmander!" he shouted, desperately.

But Flabébé was already too close for his Pokemon to do anything about it. Scrabbling for something, anything, that might save him, his fingers met something hard and he threw it without a second thought.

The Poke Ball flew in a graceful arc to lightly tap Flabébé on the head, and it was sucked inside. Trevor was so shocked, his mouth appeared to freeze open. He didn't react at all, not even when the ball fell into his lap and settled with a cheerful *ding*.

"You… caught it?" Thrin said, uncertainly.

So bewildered that he couldn't speak, Trevor stared blankly at the newly-occupied capsule in front of him. Gradually, realization dawned on his face, and he looked up at the Gurei girl with something close to wonderment.

"I… I-I guess I did," he replied, scarcely able to believe his own actions. "I-I didn't even know I threw a P-Poke Ball…"

"Char?" asked Charmander, just as confused as he was.

Reaching down to grab his hand, Volan hauled his scrawnier friend onto his feet with moderate difficulty. Then, together, they gathered the items that he had spilled and put them back in his backpack, where they'd be safe. Flabébé's Poke Ball was the last to be retrieved, and Trevor stared at it for a second before finally deciding to clip it onto his belt next to Charmander's.

"I-I never thought I'd catch a Fairy-type," he confessed, nervously. "B-But I guess I c-can get used to this one. Th-The way it f-fought those other Flabébé… maybe it can k-keep me safe?"

He didn't sound very sure of himself when he said that, Volan thought. In fact, he got the impression that it was more like he suspected something else was afoot.

 _Come to think of it, it is rather strange that Flabébé allowed itself to be caught so easily,_ he mused to himself, frowning uncertainly. _And why did they mob him like that in the first place?_

Deciding not to worry about it for now, Volan called Piper back to her Poke Ball and let Edgar settle down on his shoulder. Letting a smile cross his face, he suggested, "Isn't this a cause for celebration? Trevor, you caught your first wild Pokemon partner."

He chuckled sheepishly and responded, "Y-Yeah, I guess I –"

Trevor stopped himself all of a sudden, cocking his head to the side. A question was on its way out of Volan's throat, when abruptly, he heard the noise too.

Buzzing. And it was getting louder.

Inwardly, Volan groaned. If that sound was being made by what he thought it was…

"What's going on?" Thrin asked. She reached up to lightly stroke Akuma, who had fluttered uneasily up to perch on her head. "What's with that noise? Volan, do you have any idea what it is?"

Oh, did he have an answer to that. But when he opened his mouth to give it to her, he was once again cut off – this time by the sight of a small cloud of black specks rising into the air from behind a distant hedge and heading straight for them.

It seemed as though the Combee had found him, and were still ticked off.

"At least I've got another shot at catching that one Combee," Volan said to himself. "Piper, use Ember!"

"Chiiiiiin-dah!" the Fire-and-Flying-type screamed, launching clouds of fire while sweeping her head from side to side to hit as many Combee as possible.

"BEEEE!" the swarm buzzed in unison, and produced a combined Gust that was enough to snuff out the embers.

While neither Thrin nor Trevor knew precisely what was going on, they weren't Trainers for nothing. Thinking quickly, they leapt into the battle beside Volan – for it didn't matter why the Combee were attacking at the moment, just how they were going to stop them.

"Use Ember, Charmander!" commanded Trevor.

"And Akuma, blow them away with Gust!" Thrin added.

Next to them, Volan paled slightly. Hadn't they only seen a few seconds ago that Ember and Gust were not a good move combination?

But wait, the attacks weren't canceling out this time at all. No, quite the opposite, in fact! When the Gust caught up to the ember clouds, the swirling winds mixed them up into what was practically a semitransparent wall of fire. Spread out over a wider area as it was, the wall didn't do as much damage to the Combee as the individual Embers would've done, but it struck the entire swarm with enough force to stun them for several seconds.

Volan saw his chance, and naturally, he took it. "Use Peck, both of you! Aim for the one in the middle!"

"Krooooow!" cawed Edgar.

"Fletchin-daaaaah!" Piper shrieked.

The two of them struck their target at the same time, effectively felling the much smaller Pokemon. Dazed and injured from the birds' piercing beaks, the Combee tumbled end over end on an uncontrolled descent into the dirt below. Her wings fluttered weakly, but other than that, there was no other significant movement.

As quickly as he could, Volan shoved an arm straight into his backpack and managed to immediately come up with a Poke Ball without doing any rummaging. It was good that he did, too, because in the few moments it took him to retrieve the empty capsule, the Combee he desired was already beginning to lift off of the ground.

"What?" Thrin exclaimed, shocked. "Volan, you're going to catch that Combee?"

"Why not?" he replied, narrowing his eyes as he took aim at the disoriented bee Pokemon. "A Bug-type would add some diversity to my team. And anyway, I've already tried to catch this one, which is why she's so mad in the first place. I have to finish what I started."

With that, he pulled his arm back and let the Poke Ball fly. His throwing arm wasn't perfect, and so the arc in which it sailed was a little off target, but it tapped the Combee on the very edge of its body solidly enough to activate the device's inner mechanism. It popped open and spilled out its red light, drawing the three-headed insect safely inside.

The Poke Ball sat there on the path, wiggling frantically. Volan watched it intensely, bracing himself for the moment it opened again and the capture failed – but that moment never came to pass. With a tiny outburst of sparkles, it struggled no more, and Combee was his.

" _You go, Boss!_ " Edgar congratulated him.

"Wow," breathed Trevor, smiling. "That's awesome, Volan! You've already got a new Pokemon to help you on your journey to the Kalos League!"

"And I've still only got the one," Thrin added, giving Akuma a glance before hugging him close to her chest. "Looks like you and I need to step up our game, you little devil."

" _Awww, anything for my Mistress Thrin,_ " Akuma giggled at the show of affection.

Leaning down onto his knee, Volan reached out to give Edgar and Piper each a pat on the head. "Thanks to you, we've got a new teammate to help us in future battles. I couldn't have done it without your cooperation."

"Fleeeeetch," Piper yawned. " _It was nothing, really._ "

" _All in a day's work, y'know?_ " added Edgar, and tipped his 'hat' modestly.

Wordlessly, Trevor held up the Poke Ball containing his newest capture, the white-flowered Flabébé. After a pause, Volan did the same with Combee's ball. It was a silent gesture, but one made in celebration of their small victory today.

They decided that it was high time they got moving again. The sooner they continued on their travels, the sooner they'd hit Lumiose City – and Volan and Thrin's next badge. They'd take a lunch break once they got farther afield, and that'd be when they brought out their newest Pokemon and decided on a training regime. Now that they had new partners to train, there was so much more to do. But Volan was confident he could find a perfect spot on his team for Combee, so that she could serve just as important a role as Edgar and Piper already did. Together, they were already the makings of a great Flying-type team that'd win the Pokemon League with ease.

 _And I can't wait to see the look on Toby's face,_ Volan chuckled to himself.

-.-.-.-.-.

 **Made some changes to the "Kalos Team" format at the end – I won't list moves unless someone learns a new one, and Akuma's ability is now listed as Compound Eyes.**

 **Woot, two new captures! One for Volan, catching himself a third Pokemon in the form of a Combee, and second's on Trevor, getting himself a protective little Flabébé. She'll come in handy if he ever gets swarmed like that again!**

 **But why'd Trevor get attacked by Flabébé in the first place? Mysteries everywhere…**

 **Trevor: "R-R-Review!"**

 **Next chapter** **: Masked Heroes Battle with Flare!**

 **Chapter Question #11: For some contrast with the last question, what is your** ** _least_** **favorite locale in X & Y?**

 **Route 13, the badlands right before you visit Lumiose City a second time. Those goddamn winds and goddamn heat-seeking Arena Trap 'mons…**

 **-.-.-.-.-.**

 **Volan's Kalos Team** **:**

 **Edgar (Murkrow, male)  
** **Ability: Super Luck**

 **Piper (Fletchinder, female)  
** **Ability: Flame Body**

 **Unnamed (Combee, female)  
** **Ability: Honey Gather**

 **Thrin's Kalos Team** **:**

 **Akuma (Vivillon, male)  
** **Ability: Compound Eyes**


	17. Masked Heroes Battle with Flare!

**_Chapter 16 – Masked Heroes Battle with Flare!_**

 **Last time on "Flight of a Legend"…**

 **Volan and the gang left Santalune City the morning after their battle with Viola, with Trevor deciding to pursue a photography hobby and toting a new camera with him. Midway through their travel down Route 4, they decided to take a break and explore for new Pokemon, with Volan finding an irate Combee and Trevor managing to attract the attention of a horde of Flabébé. After a long battle, Volan and Trevor both ended up catching new Pokemon.**

-.-.-.-.-.

When they stopped for lunch at the large, decorative fountain that stood smack in the very center of Route 4, Volan released his Combee and decided to call her Majesty.

Despite being so relentlessly aggressive when they had first met, prior to the capture, the newly-titled Majesty was surprisingly calm and tolerant of him. She even accepted Edgar and Piper as teammates when the Gurei boy called them out as well, as if the fierce battle in which all three had been involved had never taken place.

Eventually, though, Volan realized that he had encountered a situation much like this one on his travels through Unova. Before they had reached Victory Road, Stephan had caught a Durant that had switched mindsets in a very similar manner. Being a colonial Pokemon, the Durant had accepted Stephan and his team as a new, stronger colony that it would now serve. Volan suspected that a similar process was at play here with him and Majesty.

"Happy to have you on the team with us," he said to her when he had finished making introductions.

"Bee, beebee Combee," she buzzed in reply. " _Happy to serve, Your Highness._ "

Edgar smothered a laugh behind his wing, drawing odd stares from Majesty's three sets of eyes.

Leaning in to admire the Bug-and-Flying-type more closely, Trevor enthused, "It's so cool you managed to catch another Pokemon, Volan! The way you battled and caught her was impressive!"

Feeling pleased at the praise, Volan smiled modestly and replied, "Don't forget yourself, Trevor. You caught yourself a Pokemon too."

At this, the orange-haired boy dropped the smile and examined the red-and-white capsule in his hand with an unreadable expression. From the way he was holding the Poke Ball, Volan assumed he was peering through the transparent bottom to have a look at the Pokemon, Flabébé, contained inside. He seemed both uncomfortable and contemplative at the same time, a combination that, frankly, had Volan perplexed.

In Trevor's other hand, he clutched his Pokedex between three fingers. After a few seconds had passed, he finally held the flat device up in front of Flabébé's Poke Ball and allowed it to automatically scan the contents. Soon, it expanded its holographic screen and informed him, " **Flabébé.** ** _Homunculus floraphilus bambina._** **A Fairy-type Single Bloom Pokemon. They hatch from eggs scattered by Florges in vast fields of flowers. When they hatch, they immediately latch on to a flower they feel most attracted to and stick with it for life. This flower is what they draw all their strength from, and are able to draw out and even control the hidden power of floral bodies. This is from where they derive their Fairy-type classification. The flower is not actually part of the Flabébé's body, although it is hotly debated by those that believe Flabébé and the flower are one in aura and spirit. Specimen is female with a power level of ten. Known moves: Tackle, Vine Whip, Fairy Wind, Captivate. Ability: Flower Veil.** "

Tapping his chin in thought, Volan asked, "Isn't the Fairy-type one of those weird types that don't really correspond to anything found in nature? I mean, it's not really known what they draw their element from. For Flabébé it's flowers, but that's not the case for most of the others."

"They're much more common here in Kalos than in Unova," Trevor stated matter-of-factly, raising a finger. "We know a bit more about them. I think only the Fairy and Ghost types are those that can be considered truly supernatural."

Accepting that, Volan nodded thoughtfully and then gestured to Majesty, who was now sharing a bowl of food with Piper and Edgar. Off to the side, Akuma and Charmander shared a bowl, while Flabébé was the only Pokemon that wasn't out and about. For some reason, Trevor still seemed nervous about his newest catch, and wasn't ready to let her out.

"Do you mind scanning Majesty as well?" Volan asked him.

"Not at all," he replied. He shifted himself so that the Combee was straight ahead of him, and activated the Pokedex once more.

" **Combee,** " the encyclopedia stated coolly, " ** _Apis triplocephala._** **A Bug-and-Flying-type Tiny Bee Pokemon. One Combee is actually formed of a trio of individuals that share a hive mind with each other, functioning as one Pokemon. They are born separately and protected by older Combee in honeycomb cells, which they fuse with as they grow. When they reach adulthood, they form mental links in groups of three, and two Combee of that group each grow a single wing to allow for flight. The Combee 'wall' continually breaks up as more Combee mature and form trios, until there is nothing left. They are born from a Vespiquen's body, while the honeycombs are constructed by worker Combee. Specimen is female with a power level of ten. Known moves: Gust, Sweet Scent, Bug Bite. Ability: Honey Gather.** "

Frowning, Volan regarded Majesty with some scrutiny. There wasn't much she could do in battle, and it'd be a long time before she could get enough experience to trigger her evolution. But it was his decision to challenge himself and create a team out of only Flying-types – he never expected that it'd be easy.

"Okay, Majesty," he said thoughtfully. "We've got a long road to travel before we can get to the Kalos League, but if we work together, we can become the strongest team in the region."

The Combee nodded, understanding perfectly. Teamwork was something she was no stranger to – it was required for life working in a hive.

So far, Thrin had not spoken, content as she was to sit and observe on the sidelines. She was curious about the new arrival to the team, but she was also slightly bothered by the fact Volan had already caught three fliers while she still only had one. She knew she'd have to catch more Pokemon soon – but so far, there just hadn't been enough opportunities available to her.

 _Next time,_ she promised herself.

Looking over the Pokemon that were out and having their afternoon meal, the Gurei girl reached over to her backpack and unzipped it. A pair of sleepy yellow eyes blinked blearily back up at her.

"Froakie, are you going to spend all your time sleeping in there?" Thrin asked, worried. "Why don't you come out and eat something?"

"Keeeee…" muttered Froakie. She leaned her ice-blue head out of the backpack and looked around at the site on which they had their picnic.

Wordlessly, Thrin slid a half-full tin of Pokemon food over to the amphibian. With a "Kee" of thanks, Froakie reached out and pulled it into the backpack with her. Once her head was back out of sight, the sounds of quiet munching could be heard from inside.

"She's awfully reclusive, isn't she?" Trevor remarked. He exchanged a look of concern with his Charmander and added, "I don't think she's being lazy anymore. Maybe she's simply not good with people."

A brown pellet came flying out to bean him in the head.

While Thrin did regard the Pokemon hidden in the backpack with visible worry, it was nothing compared to what she truly felt. It was _wrong_ , to her, for this Froakie – indeed, for any Pokemon in general – to be this closed off from others. She thought back to what Volan had told her after speaking with the professor yesterday. Starter Pokemon were selected as companions for rookies for a reason, and not only because they were close to extinction. They were supposed to be friendly and easy to raise, and more importantly, easy to bond with. But this Froakie with the strange pale skin was exactly the opposite of that.

"Hey, Froakie?" she called softly.

Two round, yellow eyes rose up to meet hers.

"Are you okay being with us, without a human of your own to take care of you?" Thrin asked, her tone quiet and tentative.

For some reason, she disregarded the term 'Trainer' in favor of 'human'. Because, really, was it not true that not all Pokemon had to be trained for battle? Was it not the case that Froakie could have fallen into the hands of a young child or old couple to live a simple, happy life with?

Of course, Thrin wasn't thinking of these things precisely. All she cared about was finding out what Froakie would be happy with. The shiny Pokemon wasn't even hers, technically, and yet she felt pity for her.

"Froh… kee Froakie froak," answered Froakie. She leaned out of the backpack a little more, her gaze intense and fixed on Thrin's face.

Oh, how Thrin wished she could share in her brother's ability to understand Pokemon he had bonded with. She knew Froakie was telling her something important – she _knew_ it.

They stared at each other a while longer, before Thrin sighed and broke eye contact.

"I just want you to know," she stated quietly, "that if we can't find a good Trainer to take care of you, I'd be more than happy to take you in. If you want."

After a second, Froakie inclined her head in a nod, just to show Thrin that she had heard her offer and would consider it. Then she ducked into the backpack to finish her food.

Deciding that that would have to do for now, Thrin turned back to her half-finished meal. She felt her skin prickle slightly, and glanced up to find Trevor staring at her curiously. She sent him a smile to let him know that everything was fine, and he flushed red before going back to polishing the Poke Ball in his hands.

"Why don't you let your Flabébé out, Trevor?" she suggested. "I mean, you can't get closer to your Pokemon if you keep it cooped up in there."

Flinching, the orange-haired boy glanced nervously down at the cold sphere still gripped between his fingers. "U-Um, yes… I suppose you're right."

He lofted his hand into the air, the movement causing the Poke Ball to fly up and open. Its contents were released as a river of blue light, cascading down in front of Trevor and forming into his most recent capture – the Single Bloom Pokemon, Flabébé.

"La la fey?" the tiny creature asked. It looked up at Trevor questioningly.

"U-um…" he stammered. Seeming to find the right words, he sat up straighter and tried again, "I-I'm Trevor, and we're going on a journey across the region. It'd be great if you'd come along with us and helped us out."

No sooner were the words out of his mouth when Flabébé delightedly zipped up to rest on his shoulder. "Fla be fey la!" she squeaked happily, leaning off of her white-petaled flower to nuzzle her face against his neck.

The Gurei siblings laughed lightly at the affection that Flabébé showed her Trainer, while Trevor shifted uncomfortably and tried to keep his smile from slipping. He relaxed a little when Flabébé floated off his shoulder to hover right in front of him, but the tension never left his body.

 _Something is definitely up,_ Volan noted. _It's not just that he's scared of Flabébé. There has to be another reason._

There was also the fact that Flabébé actually refused to eat with the other Pokemon. Maybe, as one that had been living independently in the wild up until very recently, she felt uncomfortable around such a large and diverse group. But it couldn't be denied that Flabébé looked perfectly content to eat her meal by her Trainer's side, which did nothing to help the nerves that he was trying to hide and yet were glaringly obvious all the same.

Not wanting to feel left out, Charmander moved his bowl of food over to Trevor and ate his meal there. The simple action seemed to leave an impression on Trevor, who smiled and patted the Lizard Pokemon's head. It was touching to see the Starter be so unwilling to leave his Trainer alone in a state of such discomfort.

From then on, the group of three humans and six Pokemon ate their lunch in relative silence – that is, until they were interrupted.

"Excuse me," a voice called out from afar, "but are all of these fine Pokemon yours?"

Volan, Thrin, and Trevor raised their heads in unison to regard the speaker. There were, in fact, two of them, a young man and young woman only slightly older than Volan was. They both wore white – the male was blond and short-haired, while the female had longer purple hair, done up with a pair of ties.

"Yes…" Volan replied, cautiously. "Who wants to know?"

"Oh, how rude of us!" the young woman tittered. "We got so caught up in admiring your Pokemon, you see. We can tell even from a distance that you've raised them well!"

"We work as Professor Sycamore's assistants," her companion continued for her, with a friendly way. "My name's Dexio. This lovely lady with me is Sina."

His flattering words elicited a giggle from Sina, who playfully shoved him with a blush prominent on her face.

"So, if you're assistants to Professor Sycamore," Trevor asked, raising his hand, "were you the ones that gave us our Starter Pokemon?"

Giving him a smile, Dexio replied, "Not exactly. But taking care of the Pokemon at the research facility is one of our many duties. We're proud to tell you that we've raised some very well-bred Starter Pokemon this year for new Trainers hoping to participate in the League. New moves, special abilities, the works!"

"Hold on," Sina suddenly said with a frown, looking from Volan to Thrin and back again. "Aren't the two of you Emily's kids? Volantes and Thrin?"

Nodding, Thrin responded, "Yep, that's us. Were you looking for us or something?"

"Well, not _just_ you," the older girl said with a laugh. "Professor Sycamore wishes to speak personally with all… seven? Yes, there are seven of you in total. He's got something to request from all of you."

"Froh kee kee?"

Thrin started with fright when her backpack wiggled and jumped, but relaxed when she saw it was only Froakie hopping out of the bag. The Bubble Frog Pokemon lifted a foreleg in greeting when she saw Sina and Dexio.

"Ah, yes!" the latter exclaimed, eyes sparking with recognition. "Professor Sycamore mentioned you two by name – said something about a shiny Froakie, which I couldn't believe the first time I heard it. But now I see it's actually the same Froakie we gave out to a new Trainer some years ago."

"Froakie," she answered, croaking happily. " _You guys look the same._ "

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Froakie," greeted Sina, reaching down to pick up the Water-type. "And you've found yourself some great Trainers to hang out with, is that right?"

"Keee!" Froakie cheered, much happier than anyone had seen her before.

"She's been a huge help to us," Volan piped up, drawing the assistants' gazes. "We wouldn't have been able to get away from Team Flare without her, and Thrin never could've battled Sera, either."

"She's truly one of a kind," gushed Trevor. "Oh, that reminds me! I should take a picture of such a rare and awesome Pokemon!"

He whipped out his camera, which was dangling by its strap from his neck, and snapped a photo of the relaxed-looking Froakie being clutched in Sina's arms. But Sina and Dexio were currently exchanging frowns, seemingly because of something Volan had said.

"Team Flare?" Sina repeated the name of the syndicate. "We've heard of them, but never actually seen them in person."

Now Volan and Thrin shared a glance of confusion. "Really?" they asked together, and then Volan alone continued, "I remember Team Plasma did everything they could to make themselves known. They had these huge speeches to preach their beliefs to the public… I was under the impression that Team Flare was similar."

"They were anything but subtle," Thrin snorted, remembering their gaudy suits and ridiculous chanting.

Dexio shook his head. "No, they're definitely not on Team Plasma's scale. In all our time living in Lumiose City, we've never seen even a trace of their existence… even though there are rumors."

"That's because we're lucky enough to have the Masked Heroes to protect us!" squealed Sina in a sudden bout of excitement, jumping up and down like a four-year-old.

Again, the Gurei siblings glanced at each other, even more confused this time. Trevor noticed that they had no idea what the professor's assistants were talking about, so he leaned closer to them to explain.

In a whisper, he told them, "There's a mysterious man with a Blaziken that's sometimes seen in Lumiose City. Usually, the authorities catch glimpses of him fleeing the scene of a crime that's occurred, but always with the criminals unconscious or otherwise taken care of. He's become kind of an urban legend."

"Is it just the one?" asked Volan. "They did say 'heroes', plural, so…"

However, Trevor simply shrugged. He clearly had no idea.

"Not even the worst criminal organization in the world would dare show their faces in Lumiose City with such awesome heroes to defend it!" Sina continued to gush.

"And looks like he's certainly not without his fans," Thrin commented wryly.

The three of them laughed at the droll tone she used, while Dexio and Sina had the decency to flush with embarrassment at how they had gotten carried away. In the meantime, Volan and Thrin began to gather up the food dishes that their Pokemon had left empty. It was high time that they packed up their things and continued on their way.

"We can escort you three to Lumiose, if you'd like," Dexio offered, stretching out an inviting hand. "You don't have very far to go, anyway. The rest of Route 4 is pretty much a straight line to the city."

He pointed northwards, where the skyscrapers of Lumiose City could be seen rising above the horizon. Indeed, the city was closer than Volan had thought. It was maybe another few hours' walking away.

"It's no trouble at all, really," assured Sina. "Or if you'd rather continue on your own, we could wait around a bit longer for your friends, and catch up to you at the –"

"FROAKIE!" Froakie suddenly cried.

Everyone jumped with fright when she exploded into action without warning. The Water-type bounded out of Sina's arms and spat a stream of bubbles into the grass to the side of the road. They exploded against something, causing dirt and grass to burst out everywhere. And with a flash of red, four figures ran out with cries of surprise and pain, their arms raised over their heads to shield them from flying water droplets.

"What the –" Volan exclaimed.

Two men and two woman found their footing and stood up shakily, with Poke Balls already in their hands and scowls forming on their faces.

"You brats!" one of them yelled. "How dare you ambush us in the middle of our ambush!"

"Team Flare," Volan spoke their collective name in a low growl.

The grunts spread out, surrounding the three Trainers and two researchers so that there was no escape. The Pokemon, however – Edgar, Piper, Majesty, Akuma, Charmander, Flabébé, and Froakie – stepped forth to defend from any attack, far from scared of the threat of Team Flare.

"You might have beat us last time, but your winning streak is at an end!" another grunt declared.

"You're enemies of the great Team Flare, so we'll never stop until we make sure you cannot thwart our plans any longer!" said the third.

Their words all but confirmed to the Gureis that these were the same lackeys they had battled in Santalune Forest. And it seemed as though they were purely out for revenge. This wouldn't become a regular thing, would it? Would Volan and Thrin have to put up with pathetic attempts to rob them of their Pokemon on a weekly basis?

But apparently, not everyone was as unimpressed as the Gureis were. Already, Sina and Dexio were starting to back away.

"Uh… w-we're going to… get some help!" said Dexio.

"Y-Yep!" Sina giggled nervously. "You guys just keep Team Flare busy for us, 'kay?"

Before Volan, Thrin, or Trevor could even utter a word, the two of them were off. They ran so fast that they left small dust clouds behind in their wake, in their efforts to get away from the criminals in red as fast as possible.

"Give it up! Your friends have the right idea to flee from the glorious and fashionable Team Flare!" a grunt declared. He seemed to be the one that did most of the talking, so he might be the leader of the quartet. "We will redeem ourselves for our humiliating loss by taking that Froakie and ensuring success for Team Flare!"

"Oh, shut up," muttered Volan. "Edgar, Piper, Majesty – get ready for battle."

His three comrades rose into the air in front of him, the latter two letting out fierce cries of "Fleeetch!" and "Beebee!" Edgar didn't say anything, just narrowed his eyes at the Team Flare grunt nearest his line of sight.

"Froakie, mind helping Akuma and me out?" asked Thrin, as she confronted one of the female grunts.

After a second, Froakie nodded and hopped into position, ready to aid the Gurei girl just as before. Beside them, Trevor opened his mouth to give orders to Charmander and Flabébé, only to find that they were already forming a defensive wall in front of him.

The four Flare grunts all released their Pokemon at once, revealing them to be a Houndour, Electrike, Pidgey, and most shockingly of all – an Onix. They let out roars and growls all at the same time, the noises blending into one horrible expression of rage. The combined sound made Volan shiver – it didn't sound _right_ to him.

 _Hydreigon,_ his mind instantly reminded him. _The last time I had this feeling, it turned out that Hydreigon was being brainwashed…_

"Onix, use Tackle!" the lead grunt commanded. He pointed at Thrin and her Pokemon, indicating that he wanted to target them.

"IWAAAAAR!" the giant rock snake roared, plunging its immense bulk down upon them.

The other grunts flung their arms out and called their commands as well, all on individual targets. Pidgey went straight for Trevor with Tackle, while Volan, who had the most Pokemon on him, found himself as the victim of choice for both Houndour and Electrike. The two canines opened their jaws and exhaled both an Ember and a Thunder Wave.

"Stop Onix with Bubble, Froakie!" yelled Thrin, fearless even as the titanic creature's shadow fell over her. "Akuma, you hit it with Sleep Powder, too!"

Just as bravely, courtesy of the adrenalin rush brought on by the rapidly-escalating fight, Trevor ordered, "Charmander, block Pidgey with Metal Claw, and Flabébé, attack with Vine Whip!"

Volan was last to speak, shouting, "Majesty and Piper, defend yourselves with Gust and Ember! Then Edgar, you use Wing Attack on Houndour!"

Despite the sounds of battle creating a terrible din all around them, Onix's howl of pain drowned all of them out when Froakie's torrent of bubbles battered its vulnerable hide. It reared back, away from Thrin, and Akuma used that opening to blow a cloud of Sleep Powder right into its snout. While the Rock-and-Ground-type wobbled on the brink of sleep, Charmander successfully stopped Pidgey's assault by striking it with Metal Claw. Flabébé sprang into action only a second after, and hit the bird with her powerful vines. Explosions filled part of the battlefield with smoke as four projectile attacks on Volan's end collides with each other, but not for long – Edgar cleared the smoke as he cut through with Wing Attack. A yelp from Houndour was all that could be heard when his glowing wings struck its flank on his way by.

"No, you won't win a second time!" the grunt facing Volan declared. "Our orders are to stop you from reaching Lumiose City at all costs! Electrike, use Quick Attack on that Combee!"

With a fierce bark, the wolf-like Pokemon darted forward with a trail of white light blasting out from behind it. Before Majesty could react, she was hit directly and flung to the ground.

In order to press their advantage, the Team Flare lackeys gave more orders. "Onix, use Rock Throw!"

"Pidgey, give them a Sand Attack!" yelled the one fighting Trevor.

"Houndour and Electrike, use Ember and Thunder Wave on that Combee while it's down!" finished the last two grunts.

First to stage her defense was Thrin. "Akuma, Protect! Froakie, you hit it with Quick Attack!"

A bright orange sphere formed on the end of Onix's tail even as it whipped the appendage back in preparation for its attack. The sphere hardened into a large boulder that went sailing toward Akuma and Froakie when Onix snapped its tail forward. However, not even a rock of that size could break the barrier Akuma threw in front of him – in fact, it crumbled to nothing when it made contact. That was when Froakie acted, her color sliding into grey as she darted forward to smash her body into Onix's massive chin.

Trevor saw a wave of damaging dust headed his way and prepared to defend as well. "Counter with Fairy Wind, Flabébé! And Charmander, use Dragon Dance while you can!"

The sound of sparkly pixie dust sang through the air as Flabébé's pink-hued wind met evenly with Pidgey's miniature sandstorm. The resulting backlash momentarily blinded the combatants, giving Charmander the chance he needed to produce a roiling black-and-red aura that buffed his power and speed.

Last to act was Volan, huffing loudly from his nostrils as Houndour's and Electrike's attacks came closer to the downed Combee. "Don't worry, Majesty, they won't get you! Edgar, snuff out that Ember with your Haze! Piper, use your own Ember on the electricity!"

" _High time we put out dat fire o' yours, yeah?_ " snickered Edgar, expelling thick smog from his feathers. The way he aimed it ensured that it engulfed and suffocated the incoming clouds of fire.

"Fleeeeetch!" shrieked Piper, shooting blasts of fire that pushed the paralyzing lightning bolts back. " _This is how it's done!_ "

Having successfully defended themselves from Team Flare's assault, it was time to mount a counterattack. With a determined nod shared by each of his friends, Volan took the liberty of leading the offense with a shout of, "Majesty, Piper, Edgar – use Sweet Scent and a double dose of Peck!"

"Bee Combee beebee!" Majesty buzzed, starting to twirl. " _The smell of defeat is in the air!_ "

While she rapidly churned out waves of a tantalizing, honey-like scent that overwhelmed Houndour's and Electrike's senses, Edgar and Piper blazed forward with their glowing beaks leading the charge. They slammed into the distracted Fire-type and Electric-type, pushing them back toward their gaudy masters.

Now it was Trevor's turn. Showing no sign of nervousness, he called, "Flabébé, Tackle! Charmander, jump and use Metal Claw!"

"FLA BEY!" the Fairy-type squealed, ramming into the Pidgey and sending it skyward.

"Mander char!" Charmander growled, and propelled himself after Pidgey with a jump. Unleashing metallic-looking energy from his claws and shaping them into gloves, he slammed them into Pidgey's back and made the bird drop like a stone.

Finally, Thrin finished up their assault with, "Akuma, floor that Onix with Struggle Bug! Froakie, make sure it doesn't get up with your Bubble!"

Spiralling upwards magnificently, Akuma put out a beautiful green glow as he dove down to hit Onix in the forehead. Before the giant Pokemon could react, it found itself being peppered with blasts of water, courtesy of the now-ice-blue Froakie.

As the Trainers defiantly stood their ground even with Team Flare giving it their best effort to take them down, the red-clad lackeys all gritted their teeth with frustration. They called out a new set of orders all in unison – Tackle, Spark, Bite, and Quick Attack. All four of the enemy Pokemon rushed forward to meet their opponents, showing a ferocity that none of them had ever seen before… at least, none of them other than Volan.

 _I've seen this before,_ he kept thinking. _But it's different, somehow…_

"Meet them with Wing Attack, Peck, and Bug Bite!" the Gurei boy bellowed.

"Akuma, another Struggle Bug!" Thrin ordered.

"Charmander, Ember!" shouted Trevor.

First came Electrike and Houndour, one whose body sparked with lightning and the other whose fangs glinted. But Volan's Pokemon were powerful enough to repel them. Piper smashed her beak into Houndour's chest and drove it off all by herself, while Edgar and Majesty worked together to beat back Electrike. Sparks ran over their bodies from its Electric-type move, but they were better off than if they hadn't acted at all.

"Majesty, you feeling okay?" Volan asked. He noticed that the Combee was struggling more than Edgar was.

"Combeeee…" she buzzed. " _Not to worry, Your Highness…_ "

"Team Flare for the win!" the grunt fighting Thrin announced, striking a strange pose. "Onix, it's time to use _that_ attack!"

All of the humans involved in the battle turned as one to regard the grunt and his Onix. The Rock-and-Ground-type absorbed streaks of black energy into its body, then it shone with a purple aura as it dove down towards Thrin, Akuma, and Froakie. Everyone was so surprised by the execution of the attack that they almost didn't act in time to save themselves from it.

"Bubble and Gust!" the younger Gurei called.

The wind and water blasts hammered into Onix's head, but it pushed through every projectile that came to meet it as if they were nothing. Purple light flashed in all directions as the pent-up energy released itself on impact, instantly felling both Akuma and Froakie.

"Wh-What was that…?" Thrin murmured.

"A-A Dark-type or Ghost-type m-move?" guessed Trevor.

But the Team Flare grunts weren't going to stand around and wait for them to figure it out. They ordered more attacks on the stunned Trainers, hoping to beat them while they weren't prepared.

"Electrike, Thunder Wave!" the first ordered.

"Houndour, Ember!" shouted the second.

"Pidgey, Gust!" the third added.

This time, though, the Trainers weren't able to defend. By the time they got over their mutual shock, it was too late to do anything. Majesty ended up becoming consumed by smoke before dropping to the ground with steam rising from her immobile form. Piper and Edgar were both struck with electricity, cawing and chirping in pain as they felt their muscles lock with paralysis. Charmander and Flabébé were swept off their feet by the churning winds and knocked Trevor flat on his rear.

Stricken with outrage upon seeing Majesty defeated so easily, Volan recalled her for her own safety and retaliated, "Piper, speed up with Agility and use Peck on the Houndour! Edgar, use Pursuit on Electrike!"

"Then we'll just use _that_ attack too!" smirked the first grunt, and was mirrored by the second.

Each giving off fierce snarls, Houndour and Electrike surrounded themselves with dark energy and threw themselves at the incoming birds. All four collided at exactly the same time, slamming into each other so hard that they swept dust off of the ground below them. Although they were equally matched, it was Piper and Edgar that came out of their violent meeting with the more severe injuries.

" _Dunno how much more I can take, Boss,_ " the Murkrow panted.

"Chiiiin-dah, Fletchindah," Piper added, similarly exhausted. " _What is up with these guys?_ "

Grinding his teeth in frustrated confusion, Volan took a wary step back. He had expected another easy battle with these Team Flare grunts – they'd been as pathetic at battling as they'd been embarrassing to watch. But now, despite their needlessly stupid and childish antics, they had become shockingly challenging opponents. Already, three out of seven of their total Pokemon had been defeated, and from the look of things, the remaining four were not faring much better.

"Surprised?" laughed the lead grunt. "We made sure to prepare thoroughly before we came to take our revenge! These Pokemon are some of the best in Team Flare's arsenal, given to us specifically by the admins themselves! You don't stand a chance!"

"We'll make you regret getting in our way back in Santalune Forest!" another grunt gloated.

"All enemies of Team Flare will be vanquished!" announced the third. "And we will take your Pokemon and put them to good use for the world Team Flare desires!"

The four of them, as if that was some kind of cue, suddenly sprang into another ridiculous pose and commenced cheering, "F to the L to the A to the R to the E! Gooooo Team Flare!"

At this point, Volan was thoroughly sick of them, and irritated to the maximum at the newfound competence they were showing. He growled icily, "If you're going to be a threat, why don't you at least act like it? Spare us the theatrics and take your jobs seriously!"

"Volan, is now r-really the t-time to be lecturing the p-people that have us at their m-mercy?" Trevor stammered. He held both of his Pokemon close, the two of them clearly unable continue fighting despite still being conscious.

"Well, he has a point – they _are_ really annoying," argued Thrin. She frowned down at her two fallen Pokemon, and returned Akuma before reaching out to gather Froakie in her arms.

Seemingly ignoring their disrespectful words completely, one of the Flare grunts ordered, "Stop right there! Our first order of business will be reclaiming that rare Froakie you so promptly stole away from us! Houndour, use Bite!"

"Dooooour!" the Dark-and-Fire-type howled, its fangs lengthening as it charged Thrin.

Volan felt a fiery rage take hold of him, an intensity he hadn't felt since his time in Unova. His lips curled in a snarl, and anger blazed from his sapphire-blue eyes – how _dare_ they attempt to harm his sister?!

"Catch it with Pursuit, Edgar!" he roared.

The canine Pokemon bounded nearer, causing Thrin to squeak with fear at the sight of it coming straight for her. But a dark purple blur was coming to her rescue – as Houndour fled its previous opponents to go after a new one, Edgar's use of Pursuit allowed him to… well, pursue. The Murkrow threw out his talons at the last second, slamming them into Houndour's flank and pushing the startled Dark Pokemon away from its intended victim.

"D-Did you see that?" Thrin asked, shakily.

Indeed, he had. While it certainly wasn't the first time he'd seen a person order a Pokemon to attack another person, Volan couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong. But for now, Team Flare had tried to harm his sister – and after what she'd been through with Team Plasma, that was a _great_ way to provoke the Gurei boy's ire.

No matter how powerful these grunts were now, they'd made it personal. In Volan's eyes, they were _screwed_.

"What are you waiting for?" demanded the lead grunt. "We have them at our mercy! Let's finish them off as planned!"

Together, the four red-suited subordinates raised their arms, ready to give their final orders to their Pokemon. Only Edgar and Piper remained able to defend the group of three, and they wouldn't be able to protect them against a four-pronged assault from all sides. Whatever Team Flare wanted from them – to take them prisoner, or simply ensure that they were _out of the way_ , so to speak – the odds were good that they'd get it.

One lackey extended his hand and shouted, "Onix, crush those fliers! Tackle!"

"IWAAAARRR!" roared Onix, plunging down upon the sole remaining Pokemon left to offer any resistance.

Held prisoner by the sight of Onix's wrathful eyes and gaping maw as it dove closer, all Edgar and Piper could do was brace themselves.

Or so they thought.

A new voice, soaring above all other sounds, announced its presence. "Use Hyper Beam!"

On that cue, a purple-black beam shot through the air and struck the charging Onix directly in the side, causing an explosion that rocked the ground and caused chunks of shattered rock to fly from Onix's damaged flank. The serpentine Pokemon listed to the side with a bellow of pain.

Volan saw his chance and didn't hesitate to take it. "Edgar, use Pursuit! Piper, Quick Attack!"

A blade of white sliced through the air as Piper shot forward to make contact with Onix. It staggered, then suddenly threw its head back when Edgar rammed it in its gigantic chin. Slowly and dramatically, the humongous creature toppled with an earthshaking crash and lay still.

"When justice calls, it is the Masked Heroes that will appear!" the voice decreed.

Speechless with consternation, Volan, Thrin, Trevor, and the Team Flare grunts that assailed them all turned around to look at the nearby fountain whose proximity was that in which they battled. To their shock, there were two figures standing atop the fountain, their capes fluttering in the wind. On the ground, beside the fountain, were a pair of Pokemon – the likes of which neither Volan nor anyone else had ever seen before.

The first of the duo, the one who had spoken, was obviously female despite the obscuring mask that covered the top of her head and most of her face. Said mask was stylized to look like a Pokemon of some kind, with large foils extending out from the sides to give it a hammerhead appearance. Purple tails sprung out on either side of her head, which gave her a hairstyle that Volan felt was familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. The color of her hair was similar to, but lighter than, the darker purple body armor she wore and the black jumpsuit she wore under that. The armor covered her body in patches – she wore it on her chest, back, legs, and arms, so that her waist and joints were free to move. Over her shoulders and around her neck, a purple cape fluttered in the wind. The only parts of her body that weren't covered by armor or leather was the bottom half of her face, showing that she was lightly tanned underneath.

The second of the two was, of course, male. He also wore a mask and armor and matching cape, but his outfit was radically different from his female counterpart. The mask, for starters, was white and had a large blue crest rising up from the top, with bright red lenses that covered his eyes. His whole body was covered in thin white armor – again, unlike his partner – but the armor appeared to be split into pieces so that he was able to move as easily as a person without it. Only his hands, face, and neck remained uncovered, allowing Volan and the others to see short blond hair and pale skin. Again, Volan got the feeling that he had seen that hairstyle fairly recently, but he couldn't put his finger on where. Finally, the masked male also had a cape, one that was red to contrast his partner's purple.

Really, the only way to accurately describe the newcomers was to say they looked like modern-day superheroes. And they weren't the only intriguing ones that had come to put a stop to Team Flare – their Pokemon were something to behold as well!

The female's partner was a massive, draconic Pokemon with a shark-like tail and head, but with arms and legs instead of fins. Its body was predominantly the same shade of purple as the mystery woman's armor and cape, but its chest and muzzle were bright red. It had a pair of foils on its head, and instead of hands, it wielded a pair of natural sickles that would've made a Scyther cry for its mother. Overall, its square-shaped jaw and bulky form gave it the look of a brutal predator.

Where the female's Pokemon was rugged and intimidating, the male's Pokemon seemed refined and elegant. It resembled its human companion to an almost alarming degree – right down to the blue crest atop its head and the flowing cape extending from its shoulders. It was even around the same height. But there was no way to mistake this Pokemon as human regardless, not with the wickedly sharp blades with the serrated red edges that extended from its arms. Its wiry limbs and tightly-cinched waist indicated that it was built for speed.

"Wh-Who are they?" murmured Trevor.

The male hero dramatically pointed a finger at the grunt that had commanded Onix. In a carrying, powerful voice, he boomed, "Team Flare! Your reign of terror over these innocent Trainers is at an end! Cease this pointless bullying at once, and we will be merciful and let you go without further harm."

But the four Flare grunts were not fazed. If anything, they grew bolder. "The glorious Team Flare will not stand down to even the Masked Heroes!" one of the women screamed out at them, planting her hands on her hips defiantly. "Long live Team Flare! Pidgey, use Quick Attack!"

"You too, Electrike!" another Flare grunt shouted.

"Follow up with Ember, Houndour!" cried the only other lackey with a Pokemon fit to continue fighting.

In perfect unison, the Masked Heroes jumped off of the fountain, each doing an impressive flip before landing lightly on the ground beside their Pokemon. Beneath their masks, their eyes could be seen glinting with righteous fury, the only indication that they were now getting serious.

"Mega Garchomp, use Dragon Claw!" shouted the purple-armored hero.

"Mega Gallade, use Focus Blast!" the white-armored hero added.

Their words, unknown to anyone else, struck a chord in Volan. _Mega… where have I heard that word before?_

The shark-dragon Pokemon – Mega Garchomp, apparently – whipped its scythes to the side, ferociously igniting covers of blazing green light around each blade. With that done, it launched itself forward at a surprising speed, its arms held up and at the ready. Pidgey and Electrike rushed to tackle it, releasing white light behind them to accelerate to an impressive level themselves. But when Mega Garchomp swung its blades, two curving paths of greenish light carved through the very air to finish them in one blow. The energy "gloves" flickered away, and the two Flare Pokemon were unconscious before they even hit the ground.

Its partner having finished its assault, now Mega Gallade saw its turn to act. The ruby-red edges of its arm-blades suddenly glowed gold, and it smashed its fists together to release a pair of crescent-shaped projectiles that sung through the air like ethereal swords. They cleaved straight past the clouds of hot embers that Houndour shot at them, as if they weren't even there, and struck the Dark-and-Fire-type to knock it out in an explosion of smoke and light.

And just like that – one shot, and it was all over. The Masked Heroes stood victorious, while Team Flare had lost.

-.-.-.-.-.

At the Lumiose Airport, a plane cruised in for a landing on the runway. It had flown a long way to get here, and its fuel was almost spent. It would be a long while before it could make the return trip with a new set of passengers.

As the door opened and a mobile staircase was rolled up and attached to the aircraft's side, a tall figure with a small Pokemon attached to his shoulder appeared in the doorway. Taking in a deep breath of fresh Kalosian air, the newcomer inflated his lungs and let it all out in a carrying shout…

"HELLOOOO, KALOS REGION!" he cried. "Yeah, Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town is finally –"

His foot promptly slipped, and he cut himself off in favor of screaming for his life. "WAAAUUGGGHHH!"

*THUD*

*WHACK*

*BONK*

*CRASH*

As the chaos slowly wound down to nothing, the teenager was lying in a crumpled, twitching heap on the runway while his Pokemon exasperatedly shook its head from its vantage point at the top of the staircase.

"Pikapi, pika Pikachu…" it sighed.

-.-.-.-.-.

 **Remember Dexio and Sina? Remember how their superhero act contributed absolutely NOTHING to the game whatsoever? Remember how the anime introduced an ACTUAL superhero in the form of Blaziken Mask?**

 **Yep, you guessed it. Game + anime = Dexio and Sina taking several levels in badass.**

 **Also, could it be that an old, familiar face is here to make his mark? Hopefully you recall me mentioning earlier that Ash is going to play a bigger part in this story than he did last time. You can thank the XY series for being so awesome and giving me loads of inspiration for this fanfic.**

 **Garchomp Blade: "Send your reviews, civilians!"**

 ** _Homunculus floraphilus bambina_** **= "baby flower-loving little human"**

 ** _Apis triplocephala_** **= "triple-headed bee"**

 **Next chapter** **: The Wondrous Lumiose City!**

 **Chapter Question #12: Where, exactly, do you think Fairy-types fit in when it comes to the natural world?**

 **As I've stated in this chapter, I think Fairy-types are some of the only Pokemon that draw their power from a supernatural source, Ghost-types being the others. "Magic", you could say.**

 **-.-.-.-.-.**

 **Volan's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Edgar (Murkrow, male)  
** **Ability: Super Luck**

 **Piper (Fletchinder, female)  
** **Ability: Flame Body**

 **Majesty (Combee, female)  
** **Ability: Honey Gather**

 **Thrin's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Akuma (Vivillon, male)  
** **Ability: Compound Eyes**


	18. The Wondrous Lumiose City!

**_Chapter 17 – The Wondrous Lumiose City!_**

 **Last time on "Flight of a Legend"…**

 **Volan and the gang took a lunch break to interact with their new Pokemon, Majesty and Flabébé, and talk with Professor Sycamore's assistants, Dexio and Sina. But soon enough, the shiny Froakie flushed out Team Flare, who had been lying in wait for them! Forced into a battle, Team Flare actually almost defeated Volan, Thrin, and Trevor – that is, until their surprisingly strong and unusually ferocious Pokemon were annihilated by the arrival of two mysterious Masked Heroes!**

-.-.-.-.-.

Time travel, dragon gods, criminal masterminds, and now superheroes. _Superheroes_. At this point, Volan thought it was very likely that he could safely say he'd seen it all.

After taking a surprisingly harsh beating from the same four Team Flare grunts that had harassed them in Santalune Forest some days ago, Volan had fully expected the worst. Whatever that was, he was sure it would involve him and his friends being robbed of their Pokemon, among other unspeakable consequences.

Now, though, the future looked uncertain. These two heroes, in their armor that made them resemble the Pokemon they partnered with had just thoroughly thrashed the lackeys as if they were nothing.

"Wh-Who are they?" Trevor stammered, greatly intimidated by their entrance.

"I think they might be the Masked Heroes that Dexio and Sina told us about before they ran off," Thrin speculated.

Volan nodded along in agreement with his sister. Their saviors very well could be.

"B-B-But this c-cannot be!" one of the male Team Flare grunts cried, witnessing his and his comrades' Pokemon fall before the heroes. "With our new, powerful Pokemon, our vengeance was all but assured!"

The four of them began to back off, but none of them appeared fearful. Rather, as they regarded the Masked Heroes that had taken them down in one fell swoop, they looked nothing short of enraged.

"Don't think that the fashionable Team Flare doesn't know about you, Masked Heroes!" one of the women threatened them. "You so-called guardians of Lumiose City have no idea what you're messing with!"

"Yeah, just because you trounced us doesn't make you the high-and-mighty heroes you claim to be!" another one boasted. "Team Flare has five scientists that are exceptional battlers – and three admins that are stronger by themselves than all five scientists _combined_!"

"We look forward to the day when Team Flare brings you to your knees!" the last grunt sneered. "That said, our job here is done!"

"Big words for weak Trainers!" retorted the purple-clad hero.

"Gar garbu!" snarled her dragon-like companion, Mega Garchomp.

The four members of Flare struck that familiar pose of theirs, then abruptly turned around and fled for their lives in the direction of the distant city.

"That was a close call, young ones!" said the white-clad hero, who, along with Mega Gallade, stepped forward to interact more personably with those they had just saved. "Do you, by any chance, know what the notorious Team Flare was doing here?"

Slightly numb, as he had yet to get used to the revelation that a pair of actual superheroes had just come down from nowhere and utterly thrashed the unexpectedly competent Team Flare members, Volan slowly shook his head. "They told us they wanted revenge for when we beat them before in Santalune Forest, several days ago," he explained. "But they also mentioned that they'd gotten new Pokemon from their superiors, and they also said they want us gone because we've opposed their syndicate in the past."

Cautiously, Thrin piped up, "Honestly, what they really want… I mean… their overall goal, is still a mystery to us. We hardly know anything about them. And Team Plasma shouted their motives to the world every chance they got…"

The purple-armored hero strode forward so that she was beside her partner once again. "Please make sure to be careful from now on, civilians," she frowned, although the expression was more of concern than disapproval. "You certainly strike us as accomplished Trainers, but now that we know such thugs are prowling about, you must be wary. Who knows when they will strike again?"

Unwilling to argue to a pair of masked Trainers that were obviously _leagues_ ahead of them, Volan and Thrin both nodded wordlessly.

Trevor, however, raised a hand. "Excuse me, but who are you?"

Giggling, the female hero struck a pose. "We are the Masked Heroes, of course!" she decreed. "Most accomplished and famous heroes in all the land of Kalos! I am Garchomp Blade!"

"And I am Gallade Cloak!" added the male hero.

Then, speaking as one, they finished, "Together with the mighty Blaziken Mask, we are the protectors of Lumiose City!"

-.-.-.-.-.

"You _what_?!" wailed Sina, despair written all over her face. "You mean while we went to get help, the Masked Heroes showed up and we missed them?!"

Not long after Team Flare had fled with their proverbial tails between their legs, and the Masked Heroes had taken flying leaps off of the water fountain and disappeared into the sun, Dexio and Sina had come back with a woman with vivid turquoise hair and a blue police uniform. They claimed they found the woman, the local Officer Jenny, on her usual rounds throughout the area and told her about Team Flare. Apparently, the red-suited group was relatively unknown, but enough was known about them for them to have a reputation – enough of one to prompt the police officer to drop everything at once and come running.

Once the Gurei siblings, and Trevor, had finished telling Officer Jenny everything they could about the attack, she studied her notebook with a frown. "So primarily, they attacked because they wanted to pay you back for a loss you previously dealt them?"

"Pretty much," agreed Thrin. "I mean, that's the gist of it. But they know we're out there, and they have better Pokemon than they did before…"

"In other words, I don't think we'll be seeing the last of them," Trevor added, seriously.

Nodding, Officer Jenny put her notebook away and regarded them one last time. "We've been on the lookout for these Flare people for months now, but we haven't caught a single one. I can't guarantee we'll find the ones who attacked you, but you can rest assured that we'll do our best."

That was more than fine for Volan. Same went for Thrin and Trevor. It'd be great if the police caught the four grunts that were after them… but if they were honest, they didn't think it'd be much help. It wasn't just the four of them that knew who they were, but that other one with the purple hair and goggles. In fact, based on the lackeys' own words, it seemed more as though they'd been _assigned_ to get back at them, proving that there were higher-ups that wanted them dead.

 _Just another day in the life of the Gureis…_ Volan thought to himself, bitterly.

With a word of thanks, Officer Jenny walked off to go back to her duties. Sina and Dexio were left behind to continue where they had left off before the attack.

"We sure are lucky the Masked Heroes managed to find her in time," Sina gushed. "Otherwise, we wouldn't have any official reports of Team Flare sightings in this area, and no authorities on high alert for more!"

"Aren't they just the greatest?" agreed Dexio, grinning as he fist-bumped her.

"Hold on," Thrin frowned. "I thought you said that _you_ were the ones that got Officer Jenny."

The pair of research assistants went wide-eyed at that, and quickly shared a furtive glance before bursting into nervous laughter.

"Sh-She's right, we _did_ say that, didn't we?" Sina giggled.

"Wh-Why would it ever be any other way, am I right?" Dexio seconded. "I mean, the _Masked Heroes_ going to the police for help? Come _on_ , they're way too cool for that…"

Thrin shot a glance at Volan. _These two are weirder than I thought._

He shot a look back that answered, _Fans will be fans._

Dexio coughed awkwardly. "So enough about us – the Masked He– us," he attempted to say properly, but ended up sounding even more awkward. "Will you be going the rest of the way to Lumiose City?"

"I think we will," nodded Volan, and the others nodded as well. "We should get our Pokemon healed as soon as possible, and you guys still have to look out for Shauna, Tierno, Serena, and Calem."

"Alright," Sina smiled. "If you keep going straight, you'll hit Lumiose in a few hours. Professor Sycamore's lab is on one of the main streets, directly to your left, and there's a Pokemon Center nearby as well. It's a big place, but you shouldn't get lost."

They all nodded and expressed their thanks to Sina and Dexio for their help. The two research assistants smiled with some embarrassment and headed in the opposite direction, deeper into Route 4 so that they could meet up with the rest of the Vaniville crew.

As they left, Volan noticed something strange about them.

"Hey," he mentioned, as they continued to walk toward Lumiose, "is it just me, or do Dexio and Sina have the same hairstyles as the Masked Heroes?"

"Hmm?" Thrin replied, confused. "I wasn't paying much attention to their hair when they saved us, honestly. What are you going on about?"

Once he saw that Trevor seemed clueless as well, Volan rolled his eyes and told them, "Never mind. Just a weird coincidence, that's all…"

-.-.-.-.-.

Lumiose was huge.

No, scratch that.

Lumiose was _flippin' enormous_.

It was like two Castelia Cities had joined up and combined into one titanic metropolis that rivaled every other human settlement on the planet. When they first arrived through the gates and walked out into the streets, all they could see were buildings five stories high and above. Vehicles could be seen passing by on the roads every so often, but pedestrians – people and Pokemon alike – were absolutely everywhere.

And above it all, the famous Prism Tower rose above even the tallest of buildings. The skyscrapers may have scraped the sky, but Prism Tower was tall enough to _pierce_ it. It had been built in the exact center of Lumiose City, and constructed specifically to be a landmark that one could see from all parts of the city. At night, it was said, the tower would glow with light. It was also where the local Gym was located, so Volan and Thrin promised themselves that they would definitely pay it a visit.

But that would come later. It was getting late in the day – they'd spent all morning and a good part of the afternoon trekking down Route 4 – so their top priority was to get to the Pokemon Center and then meet with Professor Sycamore.

It wasn't hard to find the Pokemon Center. All they had to do was keep an eye out for the lab, and that was downright easy. It was wedged between two similar-sized buildings, but there was no mistaking the Sycamore Research Lab for anything else. With a gold-colored fence out in the front and a massive greenhouse in the back, even larger than the majestic-looking building itself, there was absolutely no doubt about where the professor lived.

(Of course, it helped that Volan and Thrin had been there once before. Their mother worked there, after all.)

The Pokemon Center was directly across the street from the lab. More accurately, it looked like there was a Pokemon Center on the bottom of the building, while the top was more average-looking. It was almost as if a totally separate building had been built on top of the Center. Inside, though, was exactly the same as the hospital they'd visited in Santalune, right down to the smiling Nurse Joy that was only too eager to take their Pokemon and treat them to a healing.

Thanks to the amazing technology that the Pokemon Center came equipped with, they had their Pokemon back in mere minutes. Volan was relieved at this – it meant that no serious injuries had been sustained in their fight with Team Flare.

They figured they had some time to kill before Shauna and the rest of the gang got here, so they unanimously voted to chill in the Pokemon Center for a little bit. Trevor went over to a computer to check out some photography website he wanted to post his pictures on, and Thrin simply sat on a couch near the window and closed her eyes, relaxing.

There was a video phone free, Volan decided he wanted to call Caitlin. It had been a few days since they'd spoken last, and he figured he'd at least let her know how his journey was going. And she'd be arriving in Lumiose in a couple more days, so he could ask if she wanted him to wait around for her or not.

Fortunately, she picked up almost immediately when he slotted in a Poke-dollar and punched in her number. That meant she wasn't busy, and ergo, he wasn't bothering her.

"Volan! Hi!" she said, delighted to see him. "How is your journey going so far?"

"It's fun," he replied, smiling just as delightedly. "It's just like old times, really. I've got a brand-new team, Thrin's with me, and we picked up a friend along the way. Thrin and I are both entering the League this time, too."

"Remind me to congratulate her next time we see each other," Caitlin offered. "I know it's only been a few days, but have you two earned any badges yet?"

Wordlessly, Volan held up his badge case and showed off the emblem he had earned from Viola yesterday. Caitlin's lovely eyes widened when they saw it, and her smile spread further.

"That's amazing!" she praised him. "Let me guess, you and Thrin won that together in a double battle?"

Volan nodded enthusiastically, her excitement putting him in a good mood as well, but it didn't last long. He slipped the badge case back into his backpack, all the while studying Caitlin more closely. Now he could see the slight bags under her eyes, as if she hadn't been sleeping well recently.

"Caitlin, I know how you knew that," he said softly.

She could be seen stiffening on the other side of the screen.

"How is it going?" he inquired of her, speaking gently. "You know… with the _thing_?"

After taking a deep, shaky breath, Caitlin answered apprehensively, "Volan… i-it's not going so well. I can't control it as well as I thought, I have to spend all my free time sleeping, and my work as a member of the Elite –"

He cut her off by shushing her, moving his hands in a placating gesture in order to prevent her from getting too worked up.

"Caitlin," he said again, "It's okay. We're going to get through it, you and me. As a team. That's how a relationship works, right?"

Close to tears now, his girlfriend sniffled and attempted a smile. "R-Right…"

In order to change the subject, Volan asked her, "So, when is your flight scheduled?"

"A few more days," Caitlin responded, sounding significantly more cheerful. "My sister and I will be flying to Lumiose City, so if you're already there…"

He nodded, confirming this.

"…then you don't have to wait around," she continued. "You can always keep on your journey, and I can catch up to you. If you've already gotten the badge from Santalune City, then I'd imagine Cyllage City is where you're going next, so we could meet in Camphrier Town on the way."

"Arceus, slow down!" Volan laughed. "Meeting in Camphrier Town sounds great, but there's lots to do in Lumiose. We might end up meeting here anyway. And you knew I got my badge from Santalune?"

"I've done some reading up on Kalos in preparation for my visit," Caitlin explained, blushing faintly. "I haven't been there before, so I don't know much. I have heard that it's supposed to be a romantic place to go for a honeymoon, though."

Her sly grin teased Volan into laughing again. He replied honestly, "Caitlin, anywhere with you at my side would be romantic."

She turned pink again and giggled. "Okay, you charmer. You'll have all the time in the world to try and sweep me off my feet once I get there."

"Try?" he repeated, mock-offended. "I think you mean 'succeed'."

"We'll see," she told him, poking her tongue out playfully.

She seemed ready to say something else, but then her mouth parted in a yawn. Volan privately always found her yawns absolutely adorable.

"S-Sorry, I think I should probably take a nap soon," she apologized sheepishly to him. "I've been exhausted all day. Can we cut this short, please?"

"It's no problem at all," Volan said, waving at the screen as he prepared to hang up. "I'll see you in a few days, then. Take care until then, Caitlin."

"Of course," she confirmed. "I love you."

It never failed. Volan always had to smile at her tender use of those three magical words. "Love you too," he responded. "Bye."

He switched off the video-phone and sighed, feeling elated as he always did after spending time with Caitlin. And in only a short while, he'd be holding her in his arms again.

Heading back to where Thrin was taking a break, he saw that Trevor had already finished his business as well and was eagerly chatting with the Gurei girl. He'd never seen the orange-haired boy talk so animatedly to Thrin before.

"What's up?" he asked, coming over to join them.

Greeting him with a hand, Thrin filled him in, "Some of Trevor's photos got good reviews when he uploaded them online."

"Isn't that great, Volan?!" Trevor practically squealed. "If Viola says so and the comments I got online are saying so, then I think I have potential to be a real Pokemon photographer!"

It was one of those times when the normally shy and reserved Trevor came out with such uncharacteristic enthusiasm that it was infectious. Volan found himself sharing his friend's excitement as he wrapped an arm around Trevor's shoulders and congratulated him. What else could he do? Trevor, the person he'd always known as someone who only had his books and schoolwork to motivate him, had taken a Starter Pokemon and almost immediately found a dream of his own to pursue. How could Volan not feel proud of him for that?

"Have Calem and the others shown up yet?" asked Thrin, leaning out of her seat to get a better look at the doorway. "I'd like to get moving sometime soon. Anytime this week would be nice."

"Thrin," Volan said warningly, and gave her a disapproving stare. "They didn't battle Viola yesterday like we did, so they're going to take some time getting here. Let's give them another half hour, _then_ we'll head out to –"

Suddenly, an unexpected yet greatly welcome voice cut him off.

"Yo, yo, yo! It's Trevs and crew!" shouted Tierno as the glass doors slid shut behind him and the others. He was the first one to dash over, moving in a series of smooth dance steps over to their seats. His two Pokemon, Squirtle and Lotad, followed along with him.

"Hey, Tierno," chuckled Trevor, giving his much bigger friend a hug. "How was the journey over here? Did you get the Gym badge?"

Shauna answered for him, sweeping him up from behind in a giddy and overenthusiastic embrace. "You should've seen it, Trevor!" she squealed. "We came, we saw, we conqueldurred! We were out of that Gym quick as a sandyflash!"

His cheeks colored a bright shade of scarlet, Trevor hesitantly unwrapped her arms from around him and edged closer to Tierno, who beamed at him and ruffled his hair fondly.

"Oh, we got badges alright," Calem answered the orange-haired boy's question as he came over much more calmly than his two cohorts. "I won it with my Froakie and Fletchling. My performance wasn't nearly as good as Tierno's, though."

"You shoulda seen it, guys!" the heftier of the two boys exclaimed proudly, puffing out his chest. "With our elegant dance moves, there was no way Viola could keep up. Squirtle and Lotad moved and grooved their way to victory, man!"

Still apparently running on the high from their win, Squirtle jumped up and down with a cry of "Squirtle squirt Squirtle!"

Lotad kind of sat there. "Lo."

Grimacing, Volan thought privately that it was hard to imagine that Lotad doing much of anything, let alone "moving and grooving".

"I took on the Gym Leader too, you know!" Shauna added, squeezing her eyes shut with the usual sunny smile. "I just wanted to see what it'd be like. Bulbasaur and I lost, but it was fun!"

"That's right, Shauna," said Serena, the last of the four to come join Trevor and the Gureis. "Aren't you trying everything you can so you have a lot of fond memories to look back on?"

"Of coursola!" the darker-skinned girl punned. Serena almost fell over with exasperation.

Volan had yet to say anything – he just wanted to hang back and observe the others for a moment. Watching Trevor, Shauna, Tierno, Calem, and Serena interact like this, all of them having completed the first leg of their journey… they had grown since they last met in Santalune City. It had been only twenty-four hours ago, maybe less, and yet Volan could see a difference.

"So," he spoke up at last, "have all of you gotten a better idea of what kind of Trainers you want to be?"

"No brainer there!" Tierno enthused, with a hearty fist-pump. "Now that I've experienced what a thrill it is to fight a Gym battle, I want to reach the Kalos League and build my Pokemon dance team more than ever!"

"Same goes for me," agreed Calem. "Although obviously without the dancing bit."

"I'm still not sure," Serena confessed with a self-conscious smile. "I just thought Fennekin and I would explore until we find something we both want to do. For now, if I'm honest, I'm just glad I got out of the house!"

The entire group shared a small laugh at that, and it was at that moment when Nurse Joy returned with the Pokemon that Calem and the others had already entrusted to her. She then asked Tierno if his Pokemon needed a checkup, and he said that he was good – he'd already gotten them looked at right after he fought Viola.

"So in that case, are we all ready to go visit Professor Sycamore?" Volan asked, slinging his pack over one shoulder.

"That's right, he wanted to speak with us in person, didn't he?" remembered Trevor. He tapped his chin in thought. "That's what Sina and Dexio said, anyway."

Thrin, Shauna, and Serena simultaneously glanced at each other at the mention of the professor's name and _giggled_.

-.-.-.-.-.

It didn't seem possible, but Professor Sycamore's research lab was even more impressive on the inside than it was on the outside.

The lobby was very large, with two floors separated by a polished wooden staircase. A soft blue carpet rolled down the steps from the upper floor and spread out to cover most of the area on the bottom floor. Lamps hung from overhead to provide light, while bookcases and potted plants leaned against the walls to help produce an elegant yet somehow comfortable atmosphere, like returning home after a long day of traveling.

This was especially true for the Gurei family, mostly because Volan and Thrin had visited before and, at least in their mother Emily's case, it sort of was like a second home.

"Is this really a lab?" asked Trevor. He was turning around and arcing his head back, trying and failing to take in everything at once. "It doesn't look anything like I expected."

"Thrin and I thought the same thing when we first came here," Volan agreed. "My guess is that he lives here, or wants his guests to feel as comfortable as possible, or both. I also got the impression that it was a Kalos thing to prioritize comfort and style above everything else, based on the difference between Professor Juniper's lab and here."

"Yeah, Juniper mostly kept the lab stuff in the actual lab, and all the comforts on the second floor where she lived," Thrin reminisced. "But Sycamore's really found a balance between style and functionality. It's especially impressive when you see the whole building."

One of the professor's lab assistants, a woman named Sophie, was there to greet them and get them settled in before she went to tell her boss of their company. She took them to another room that looked like a combination of a living room and the emergency ward of a Pokemon Center. They sat down on the soft armchairs and looked through the transparent glass window on the other side of the room with curiosity, watching as another lab assistant treated the wounds of what looked like a normally-colored Froakie.

"Professor Sycamore will be here in a minute," Sophie informed them. "And I'll be around with some tea later, how does that sound?"

"Great!" Thrin chirped. "Tell Mom we said hi, okay?"

With a smile, Sophie nodded to her and walked out, leaving the collection of Trainers to wait for their host to arrive.

Something that caught their attention for a few seconds was a television screen mounted on the wall nearest them. It had been turned on and was currently showing a news report. The anchor, a bespectacled woman with curly pink hair, was holding a microphone up to a teenaged boy with enormous glasses and a blue jumpsuit.

" _…_ _and that's the gist of it,_ " the boy was saying, talking politely and professionally. " _I've contacted the workers at the Lumiose Power Plant, and by my hypothesis, they should restore power to Northern Lumiose by the end of this week at the latest._ "

" _I see,_ " the reporter replied. " _Thank you, Clemont. As the Gym Leader of Prism Tower and prodigy of science, it's only natural that you would already be on top of things._ "

" _You're very welcome,_ " the alleged Gym Leader smiled modestly. " _I'm only doing my best as Gym Leader to watch over the city and protect the people I live alongside. It's my duty to do so._ "

" _Has Prism Tower been affected at all by the outage?_ " the reporter asked next. " _With the Kalos League coming up, there will still be challengers visiting in hopes of earning a badge._ "

" _Fortunately, we have an emergency backup power supply at Prism Tower that will keep it up and running for several weeks if necessary,_ " Clemont explained. " _I've left a substitute Gym Leader to run the place while I journey to Route 13 to help the workers. I'm quite determined that the outage will not affect the outcome of the Kalos League._ "

Nodding with understanding, the reporter turned toward the camera and announced, " _You've heard it straight from the Lumiose City Gym Leader himself, folks. The Gym will remain open, and the power will soon be restored to the northern part of the city. This has been Malva, reporting live from Lumiose News Station._ "

A commercial then came on the air, making the group lose interest in the television. Volan and Thrin looked at each other silently, each instinctively knowing what the other was thinking.

 _I didn't know anything about a power outage,_ the Gurei boy thought. _But at least, according to that news report, the Gym wasn't affected much. We can still visit during our stay here and hopefully win our second badge._

The longer they sat there, the more Volan's mind wandered. He thought about what he was going to do during his time in Lumiose City. He definitely wanted to visit Bernice and the rest of his Unova team here at the lab as soon as possible. Then there was the Gym, of course, and… not much else, if he was honest. But in a city as enormous as this, there was no doubt he could find something to do.

"How much longer?" frowned Shauna, turning her head this way and that. "I get that he's probably busy, but now that we're here, I want to get started!"

Fiddling with his camera, Trevor replied, "He might s-simply be in the middle of something. There's no rush, Shauna."

Serena had gone over to the far side of the room to watch the Froakie being treated. The corners of her mouth were tilted downwards in a kind of worried curiosity. From what little Volan could see of the Pokemon from where he sat, it seemed that it was pretty beat up.

"Marvelous!" a familiar voice cried. "Everyone made it!"

Everyone turned as one to see who had entered. Walking through the open doorway were Emily Gurei and Professor Augustine Sycamore himself.

"Volan, Thrin!" Emily called them over, and brought both of her children into a hug when they came. "Your journey's going well so far?"

"Yep!" Thrin said proudly. "We already got one badge each!"

Joined by their mother, they sat back down on the couch as Professor Sycamore took the seat directly in front of the six Trainers in front of him. Serena came over and took the only available seat next to Sycamore, smoothing her black skirt down as she did so. Now that all of them were present and accounted for, he sat slightly back in his seat and looked them over with interest, and they stared patiently back as they waited for him to speak.

Finally, he did. "So, welcome to my research lab!" he said, spreading his arms welcomingly. "I'm Professor Augustine Sycamore, of course. I've been looking forward to this day since I sent those Starter Pokemon over for young Calem to distribute to you."

He gave the dark-haired boy in question a nod, and Calem replied with an acknowledging nod of his own, as well as a pleased smile. He had been happy to carry out the professor's favor for him.

"If I may, could I get to the two of you in just a minute?" Sycamore asked, directing the question to Volan and Thrin.

The brother and sister pair didn't mind, and gestured for him to go ahead. Thrin turned light pink and stifled a giddy giggle when he looked at them to ask the question, and Volan gave her a weird look in response.

Shifting in his seat so he could look more directly at the five Vaniville Town natives, Sycamore commented, "You all look marvelous, the five of you. It's only been a few days since I sent those Pokemon to you, but there's no doubt that you have the look of Trainers now. Congratulations on making it all the way here. Consider it only the first leg of your journeys."

"Thank you for all you've done for us, Professor," Trevor said with a polite bow. He didn't stammer for once. "I was nervous at first, but being with Charmander has really opened up a new realm of possibilities for me. It's exciting!"

"Yes, thank you!" repeated Serena. "Being a Trainer isn't exactly what I've imagined it to be, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Not when I have my darling Fennekin!"

"Don't forget about me, bro!" Tierno exclaimed. "With Squirtle at my side, my Pokemon dance team can finally become a reality!"

"And I'm thankful as well, of course," finished Calem.

Professor Sycamore beamed, looking nothing short of delighted at their answers. "Well, marvelous!" he said again. "I'm always more than happy to help a new Trainer get started on their journey. The five of you will certainly grow both as Trainers and as people now that you have Pokemon companions of your own. Experience that all of Kalos has to offer you!"

The five of them thanked Professor Sycamore again, and he waved them off like it was no big deal. After all, introducing hopeful young boys and girls to a Pokemon companion that would change their lives was part of his job.

"Actually," Sycamore added as an afterthought, "would you all mind releasing your Starter Pokemon so that I could take a look at them?"

They obligingly did so, releasing Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Froakie, Charmander, and Fennekin onto the ground in front of them. Professor Sycamore knelt down so that he could peer at them more closely, an almost fatherly smile on his face.

"Mm-hm," he hummed, as if confirming something. "These Pokemon are no doubt much stronger and healthier than when I last saw them. It seems as though being exposed to a Trainer, and being let free to explore Kalos along with you, has been as good an experience for them as it has been for you!"

The five Pokemon turned to each other and shared an ecstatic cry, their eyes closed happily.

Calem raised a hand. "So, Professor Sycamore, what exactly is it that you want our help with? You mentioned in your letter something about needing more assistance before you can finish your research?"

The man's eyes sparked with recognition. "Ah yes, that's right! I'll be getting to that in a minute. But first, I believe I had something I wished to ask of Volan and Thrin."

Understanding exactly what he meant by that, Thrin slung off her backpack and opened it up. Not too roughly, she reached her hands in and pulled out the shiny Froakie, who was sleeping again. When she was brought into the light, though, the ice-blue Bubble Frog Pokemon tensed up and let her eyelids flutter open.

"Froooooak…" she yawned, rubbing her eyes. Once she could see clearly, she blinked up at Sycamore.

"There isn't any doubt about it," the professor deduced after studying Froakie for a moment. "As I suspected, this _is_ the same Froakie that once lived here at the lab. I never thought I'd see her again."

"Did you give her up to a Trainer?" asked Thrin.

Froakie glanced around at the fascinated faces staring at her from all angles – none of them were hostile, but she felt uncomfortable all the same. She hopped right into Thrin's lap when one of the other Pokemon came close, surprising the Gurei girl with the sudden feeling of her weight pushing on her legs.

"Yes, although I was hesitant," Sycamore answered Thrin's question. "As you know, shiny Pokemon are incredibly rare, even if they are slightly less so here in Kalos – I didn't want a brand-new Trainer to get attacked by someone who wanted Froakie for their own."

Silence ensued while Thrin, and indeed the others as well, digested that. She looked down at Froakie curiously, wondering if the Water-type knew just how unique and coveted she was.

"I kept in close contact with that Trainer," Sycamore was continuing, "but it wasn't long before they called me for our weekly correspondence and Froakie was no longer with him. He said that she wasn't stolen, but that she'd broken her Poke Ball one night and disappeared. Whether her actions were selfish or selfless wasn't clear… but it's been years. It's truly a one-in-a-million chance that she's turned up again."

"Kee kee," Froakie said. In a single leap, she propelled herself away from Thrin and into Sycamore's chest, where he cradled her in his arms.

"Will you be keeping her from now on?" Volan asked. Admittedly, it'd be a weight off of his chest, albeit not much of one, if he knew that Froakie was with someone who would keep her safe. "We wanted to find her a decent Trainer that'd be willing to take her in and raise her properly, so that she wouldn't have to piggyback off of us in order to stay safe… but no luck so far."

Giving him, and Thrin also, a significant look, Sycamore said critically, "I think it's best if we let Froakie decide what she wants to do. I have no idea what was going through her head when she left her previous Trainer, so she might either want to remain independent or choose a partner herself. There's really no way to tell for sure."

Concernedly, Shauna asked, "Professor, what will happen if Froakie wants to stay at the lab and not become a Trainer's Pokemon?"

He scratched the back of his head uncertainly. "Now, Shauna, that's very difficult to explain. The Pokemon that we professors give out to new Trainers are extinct in the wild, so it's up to kind volunteers like yourselves to help them grow and mature until they reach adulthood. It'll be extremely unlikely that Froakie will evolve in as quick a time than if she went with a Trainer – and once she does, she may not be able to have children. Shiny Pokemon are so rare for a reason. Their alternate coloration may make them less able to fit in with their environment, and might even discourage potential mates. So her future is not clear."

Although the weight of what he was saying now hung heavily in the air, Froakie herself didn't seem too bothered. She clung to the professor's chest with her sticky feet and let her eyes slide closed, looking as though she didn't have a care in the world right now, so long as she could relax.

 _Her future is not clear._ For some reason, that line gave Volan the shivers. It made him think back to that girl with the Gengar they had met in Santalune Forest, and the ominous words she had spoken.

"Who knows?" Professor Sycamore was saying now, smiling kindly at Thrin. "Maybe Froakie would much rather stick with you. She's been with you for this long, hasn't she?"

Flushing bright pink, Thrin twirled a strand of hair that had fallen loose from her ponytail and giggled to herself, like she was driven giddy by the very fact that he had acknowledged her presence.

 _I'll never understand what she sees in him…_ Volan sighed inwardly. _Or why she thinks she has a chance._

Carefully, Sycamore took the shiny Froakie off of his chest and placed her on his right shoulder. She quickly acclimated to the new position, standing there attentively like a trained Flying-type.

"So yes, thank you for bringing her here, Volan and Thrin," he said to them. "I'll run some tests on her and see how she's doing after so long. But I doubt I'll be able to keep her around, so don't be surprised if I send her off with you again."

The siblings assured him that it wouldn't be a problem. Their mother, who had been silent all this time as her employer spoke to his company, nodded approvingly to herself.

Suddenly, Volan snapped his fingers as a thought sprung to his mind. "That reminds me. How'd your investigation go with that Noivern I caught and sent to you?"

"Ah! Yes, that," replied the professor. "I did everything I needed to and then transported it to a colleague of mine who's visiting Kalos as part of a little project we're working on together. He's currently residing in Snowbelle City, and he released Noivern into the Winding Woods found near there. Chances are, it'll find a safe home there and won't bother anyone else."

That was a relief. Until now, Volan hadn't even thought about the Noivern he had caught in order to put a stop to its rampage, but it was great to hear that it was going to be fine from here on out.

"What kind of project are you working on, Professor?" Serena changed the subject, greatly curious about what he had mentioned.

In response to her question, Sycamore reached into his lab coat and pulled out some sort of machine. It looked almost like a Pokedex, but it was trapezoidal in shape and had a spike on top, as well as a weirdly-shaped screen.

"This is just a model, but Samson and I are working on the prototype right now," he explained to the teens. "It won't be finished until we can catch a Rotom, though. Imagine a Pokedex that puts Rotom's electricity manipulation ability to good use, essentially allowing it to function as a living Pokedex!"

Tierno's eyes were wide. "Whoa, that's some high-tech stuff! And all with the help of a Pokemon, too!"

"Of course! It'll be a new way for people and Pokemon to interact and connect," Professor Sycamore said. "That's what my colleague and I are hoping, anyway."

Before anyone could ask any more questions, because Arceus knew that they were simply dying to, Emily stepped in with a chuckle. "Kids, I think you should give Augustine a break for now. It's almost time for dinner, and that means there's a lot of work to pack up, and even more Pokemon to feed."

At this, Thrin grew excited. "Will you be cooking for us, Mom?" she begged.

Volan couldn't blame her for pouncing on their mother like that. She was like Arceus in the kitchen… or at _least_ Dialga. Some kind of culinary god, anyway.

Chuckling as well, Sycamore remarked, "Emily, you work hard enough around here already. I'm no slouch in the kitchen myself, so I can cook tonight."

Thrin shook her head emphatically. "Oh no, you're not getting our mom off the hook so easily."

"Yeah, her cooking is to die for," Calem added, to the group's unanimous agreement.

A playful twinkle in his eye, the professor challenged, "Well in that case, Emily and I will _both_ cook tonight, and you young Trainers can judge who did better."

Everyone cheered at that, including the Pokemon (who didn't often taste human food, but knew a good meal when they heard it.)

Emily swept out of the room to head off to the kitchen upstairs, bumping into Sophie on her way out, who was just entering with a tray of tea cups. Shrugging, the other lab assistant followed the Gurei woman back out. Volan, Thrin, and the others were about to leave as well, when Professor Sycamore stopped them.

"Hold on, a word if you please," he implored them. "Before we treat you to dinner like proper hosts, let me ask you a quick question… how much do you know about Mega Evolution?"

-.-.-.-.-.

 **Sina, Dexio, you're not convincing anybody.**

 **PRISM TOWER IS THE TOWER THAT WILL PIERCE THE HEAVENS *rimshot***

 **Now that we're in Lumiose, lots of things are going to happen in the next few chapters! The local Gym, Pokedexes, the shiny Froakie, and more! Also, Sycamore finally appears in person, and looks like he's going to be getting into the more intimate details about what he wants from Volan and the rest!**

 **Next time, we're going to learn some stuff about Mega Evolution! So be sure to give this story some Mega reviews!**

 **Next chapter** **: Garchomp Grievances**

 **Chapter Question #13: Who's your favorite Kalos Starter Pokemon?**

 **Froakie for me, of course. Not sure whether Chespin or Fennekin is the one that grabs second place, though.**

 **-.-.-.-.-.**

 **Volan's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Edgar (Murkrow, male)  
** **Ability: Super Luck**

 **Piper (Fletchinder, female)  
** **Ability: Flame Body**

 **Majesty (Combee, female)  
** **Ability: Honey Gather**

 **Thrin's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Akuma (Vivillon, male)  
** **Ability: Compound Eyes**


	19. Garchomp Grievances

**_Chapter 18 – Garchomp Grievances_**

 **Last time on "Flight of a Legend"…**

 **The Team Flare grunts that had come to harass Volan and Co. a second time were chased off by the mysterious Masked Heroes, who fled shortly before Sina and Dexio came back with help. Once the assistants left them to search for Calem and the rest, Volan and his friends reached the enormous Lumiose City. They met up with the others at the Pokemon Center, and then visited Professor Sycamore's lab as he had requested in his letter way back at the beginning of their journey.**

-.-.-.-.-.

"Mega Evolution?" Tierno was the first to pose the question. "I can't say I've ever heard of anything like that."

"Sorry, but I can't say the term's familiar to me, either," added Trevor, apologetically.

Calem, however, seemed to be deep in thought. "I think something like that was mentioned briefly in our History class earlier this year," he mused. "It had something to do with Shalour City and the Tower of Mastery… or maybe the Sky Pillar in Hoenn… or maybe both. I'm having trouble remembering properly."

Volan and Thrin were silent. The latter honestly had no idea what Professor Sycamore was talking about – _Mega Evolution, what the Arceus is that supposed to be?_ she thought – but Volan was wracking his brain. It sounded very, _very_ familiar to him, but he couldn't put his finger on where he had heard the "mega" term before.

With a laugh, Sycamore shook his head. "That's quite alright. I wasn't expecting much more than that, to be honest. It's still a topic that not many people know about. However, it's a phenomenon rumored to have existed in Kalos since ancient times – several thousand years ago, in fact."

"That's a long time," Shauna remarked, eyebrows raised.

"Indeed it is, and now for the first time, we're learning of its existence and putting it to use," the professor replied. "I've been researching it for years, and I'm finally on the verge of a breakthrough after all this time. All I'd like for you to do is keep an ear out for any information you come across on your journey."

The seven Trainers all shared a glance, then nodded as one.

"We'd be happy to," volunteered Thrin. "Should we try visiting that Tower of Mastery place too?"

"Please do," Sycamore confirmed. "Quite honestly, it's the only place you're likely to hear anything about Mega Evolution, anyway. I also know of a bunch of Trainers that use Mega Evolution, so you could try seeking them out and battling them. Off the top of my head, there are three doing volunteer work for me in Unova and another one working for Lysandre Labs…"

Frowning, Serena took out what seemed to be a Town Map and swiped across the screen a couple of times. She informed them, "Here it is. It's a long way from here, in Shalour City. That's on the northern end of Kalos, on the coast of Azure Bay."

Again, the professor confirmed her statement. "That's right, Serena. Incidentally, there's a tournament that's scheduled to go on in Shalour City in a few weeks. It's called the Tower of Mastery Tag Tourney, if I'm remembering Gurkinn's words correctly… so you seven will probably be going there anyway, regardless of whether or not I ask."

Blinking at the mouthful of a name, Volan couldn't help but feel a bit excited. _A big tournament?_ he thought. _That certainly sounds promising._

"But that's all I wanted to tell you," chuckled Professor Sycamore. "We can discuss Mega Evolution more later. For now, we should relax and fill our bellies now that the day is almost done."

"Excuse me," Volan spoke up, "but can Thrin and I go down to the greenhouse to see our Pokemon?"

The professor's eyes lit up with realization. "Ah!" he exclaimed. "Yes, of course! Your teams have made themselves more or less at home. They'll definitely be happy to see you."

Calem and the rest of the Vaniville Town natives waved a temporary goodbye to the Gureis and told them that they'd meet up again when dinner was ready. They followed Sycamore out of the room, while Volan and Thrin took a separate path through the lab and down to the massive greenhouse he used to keep the Pokemon he conducted his studies on.

-.-.-.-.-.

Professor Sycamore's greenhouse was like a house attached to another house. Or, more accurately, it was so large that one could have built a house inside of it and still have room for a lawn and garden out front. Possibly a backyard, too.

… It was really big, that was the point Volan was trying to make.

Grass covered the entire area, while bushes grew plentifully and trees spread their leaves high above. Plenty of sunlight filtered through the ceiling and walls, although it was starting to fade given the time of day. There were ponds and streams as well, all connected to a large central pond on one end of the greenhouse. And of course, there were tons of Pokemon out and about – the most notable of which was a large, shark-like Dragon-type currently being tended to by Sina under one of the trees.

 _The Pokemon I have with me should come out and enjoy this place, too,_ Volan decided. He unclipped the Poke Balls from his belt and released Edgar, Piper, and Majesty into the cool late afternoon air.

Deciding that his idea was a good one, Thrin called Akuma out. She made to slip off her backpack, but suddenly remembered that Froakie was no longer with her. The shiny Pokemon was still being attended to by Professor Sycamore.

"Hello, Sina," Volan greeted the purple-haired young woman, dodging a Zigzagoon and a Combee on his way over to meet her. "Is this what you do for Professor Sycamore?"

Sina turned around at the sound of his voice and smiled kindly at him, Thrin, and their Pokemon. "Hi, Volan and Thrin! Dexio and I do anything and everything for Augustine, including making sure all the Pokemon that live here are happy and healthy. And yes, that does make up a large portion of the work we do here."

"Like this one?" Thrin asked, walking up to the dragon that stood next to Sina. "Wow, it's so cool!"

"Garu gar gabur," the Pokemon growled softly, seemingly pleased at the compliment.

"Oh, she's my Pokemon. She's a Garchomp," Sina explained. "You can tell she's female because male Garchomp normally have a notch in their dorsal fin. Garchomp's been my partner for a long time. Haven't you?" she cooed to the dragon, patting its snout.

Something glinted near Garchomp's neck. When Volan peered more closely at it, he saw that Garchomp was wearing some kind of decorative necklace. The stone in the very center of the necklace caught his attention – it was a crystal of some sort, and it had a weirdly-shaped pattern at its core, almost like a multicolored flame. The pattern's colors stood out against the dark purple, amethyst-like substance that made up the bulk of the crystal.

"What's she wearing?" he asked.

Upon hearing his question, Sina's tanned skin seemed to pale the tiniest bit. "O-Oh, that? Augustine calls it a Mega Stone. It's part of his research, you see, and th-that's why Garchomp is wearing it. We believe that it'll allow her to Mega Evolve."

There was that phrase again, coming back to haunt him. _Mega Evolution_. The Gurei boy just _knew_ he'd heard it somewhere before, and he hated not being able to remember where.

Turning her thoughtful gaze on Volan, Thrin asked, "Hey, didn't one of the Masked Heroes have a Pokemon kind of like Sina's Garchomp? It was… hmm… Mega something-or-other, but there was definitely a 'mega' involved there. Wasn't there?"

Now that he thought about it, there was indeed. Maybe the Masked Heroes would be a potential lead when it came to investigating Mega Evolution for the professor? He nodded as he mulled it over, unfortunately missing how Sina balked at Thrin's question.

A loud cry from up above drew Volan's eyes skyward. He grinned at the sight of the Pokemon coming down to meet him – it was Ulna!

" _Ayyy, long time no see,_ " Edgar said, waving a wing from his position on Volan's shoulder. " _Youse been doin' well, has youse?_ "

The Bone Vulture Pokemon landed and wrinkled her beak at him. " _It's been, what, a few days? Only came down to say hi to Volan._ "

"Glad to see you too," he replied, bending slightly down to talk to her. Majesty and Piper crowded a little closer, curious about this bird that they'd never seen before, and he noticed. "Oh, these are my new recruits. Ulna, this is Piper the Fletchinder, and Majesty the Combee. Guys, this is one of the Pokemon I raised for the Unova League a few years ago."

Ulna eyed them critically. " _They don't look too bad,_ " she finally said. " _Staying true to your goal of beating the Kalos League with only fliers, huh? Well, I'm not usually one to beg for attention, but you can always call me and the others if you need more firepower._ "

While he talked, Sina and Garchomp started to back off, a sheepish expression on the former's face. "We'll leave you two to explore around the greenhouse, alright?" she said, sounding… for some reason… a little nervous. "Make sure to come when dinner's ready, alright? Garchomp and I will be in the front lobby if you need us."

Breathing a sigh of what sounded like relief, she and her Pokemon sped off.

"I'll keep that in mind," Volan said to Ulna, after waving at Sina's retreating back. "So, how are you and the others doing? Do you like it here at the lab?"

" _Eh, it's not bad,_ " Ulna admitted, adjusting her skirt of bones. " _Want me to take you to see the other guys? They'll certainly be happy to see you._ "

She wasn't kidding. Volan and Thrin were kept extremely busy for the next few minutes as they found and greeted all of their old Pokemon. They'd all gotten used to living at Professor Sycamore's lab at this point, some more than others – case in point, when they got to the large pond, they found Plastron sleeping like a log and Rickie surrounded by admiring smaller Water-types which he tolerated with extreme patience. They found Blanca, Grunge, Jet, and Sapphire playing games with some other Pokemon, and Valkyrie and Rudy napping peacefully in the shade of a tree. Even the ever-pessimistic Hydreigon had found reason to enjoy himself here, although nothing could have matched the ecstatic smile on his maw when he realized that Volan had come to visit.

Of course, Bernice was the most delighted to see that her best friend was here.

" _Volan!_ " she cried from above, and touched down at a run to hug his leg with her wings. " _It's great to see you and Thrin again! You've been good so far, yes? What's your journey been like?_ "

He enveloped his treasured Starter in his arms, returning her hug, and responded, "Everything's been great so far. I wish I could've taken you along, but, you know…"

" _Fair's fair,_ " she finished for him, remembering what he had told her back home in Vaniville Town. She sounded like she understood, although she still wasn't happy about it.

"There are some new faces for you to meet, too," Volan added, ushering his other Pokemon closer. "Bernice, this is Piper and Majesty – and Akuma as well. They've only been with us a couple of days, but they're growing fast and strong."

Bernice looked pretty put off by the presence of newcomers to the team. The Proud Pokemon was, indeed, proud, and had trouble tolerating even her older teammates from time to time, despite all they'd been through. But Volan was more than her master – he was her best and most valued friend of all, and so she gave it her best effort to be friends with all the other Pokemon he took under his proverbial wing, for his sake.

" _Nice to meet you,_ " she said to Piper, Majesty, and Akuma. That earned her an approving nod from Volan, who knew how hard it was for her to open up to others.

He had used to be the same way, after all.

Suddenly, there was a huge splash from over by the pond. Rickie had stood up and was walking to the water's edge, his eyes focused in the direction of the exit.

" _Do you hear that?_ " he croaked warningly, which silenced the entire greenhouse. His deep voice was good for carrying far.

Volan knew that Rickie had the best hearing out of all of his Pokemon, and he also knew that Rickie didn't really talk unless it was something worth listening to. So whatever this was, it had to be serious.

" _Something's wrong,_ " the Seismitoad continued. He cocked his head so he could hear better and remained still. " _Intruders. Sina… and Garchomp… I can't make all of it out._ "

That was all Volan and Thrin needed to hear.

"All of you, stay here in case we need backup!" yelled Thrin, addressing all of the Pokemon that had gathered to hear Rickie speak.

"Edgar, Piper, Majesty, Akuma, with us," added Volan. "If we have to fight, we'll count on you for now. Bernice," he turned to the Unfezant importantly, "stay here with the others, and I'll call if I need you."

" _Understood,_ " she nodded. " _Now go, Volan. The others and I will keep the professor's Pokemon safe if necessary._ "

The two Gureis soon left the greenhouse behind in their haste to get to the lobby, where Sina had said she was going. The path through the interior of the lab they had to travel from the greenhouse to the lobby wasn't long or complex, but once they entered the spacious room with its comfortable atmosphere, they found that they were the last ones to arrive. Sina, Dexio, Sycamore, and everyone else was already gathered there – and the atmosphere was now charged with spine-tingling tension.

Facing off against Professor Sycamore and his assistants with their backs to the doorway, dramatically illuminated against the orange evening light spilling through the door and windows, were none other than Celosia and Team Flare.

 _Them again!_ Volan shouted inwardly. _It's okay. This time, we have the numbers, and our Unova teams. And… wait, who's that?_

Indeed, the red-hued criminals weren't alone. The person standing at the forefront of their group was a young woman, who frankly didn't much look like she was associated with Team Flare at all, with her slim white uniform and an almost childish expression. She was moderately attractive, in a rather cute way, which was accentuated by the style in which her bright pink hair was done in – a pair of long, wavy ribbons that seemed to ripple in the slight breeze that blew through the open door. Her big green eyes blinked innocently, but they would periodically dart to the sides as if analyzing the group that opposed her.

"I repeat, what is it you want from us?" asked Professor Sycamore, taking a defensive stance in front of the group.

"Oh, you silly professor, I so totally told you already!" the woman tittered hysterically, like a small child. "My colleagues and I are here because we _so_ want to help you study Mega Evolution!"

"So do yourself a favor and just let us in already," Celosia smirked. She stepped forward to cast a long shadow over the carpet, making herself known as a far more sinister presence than her unknown ally.

Suddenly, she moved her head slightly to observe those who had come to Sycamore's aid, and she stopped dead. Despite her eyes being covered by the futuristic goggles she wore, it was obvious to Volan – and Thrin as well – that she was staring right at them.

"Wait, what the _hell_ are you two brats doing here?!" she demanded.

"Right back at you," Thrin muttered.

Letting out a growl, Celosia crossed her arms and muttered audibly, "Ugh, those _buffoons_. They had _one_ job, and look how well that turned out! I guess I have no choice but to waste my actually competent underlings on you."

Automatically, the Flare grunts that were with her – six of them – took out Poke Balls and held them at the ready, their visors gleaming in the sun.

"Celosia!" Pink Ribbons scolded. "That is _so_ not how it's done. We're trying to make friends with the good professor, and you're totally not making a good first impression."

She tittered again, convincing Volan that she wasn't entirely sane. Judging by the expressions worn by the others, they thought the same.

"Why exactly do you want to research Mega Evolution?" Professor Sycamore inquired warily. "And why do you need me, for that matter?"

Pink Ribbons gave him the sunniest of smiles, like Volan's old friend Bianca on a good day. "Isn't it totally obvious? You're like the leading expert on the subject, of course! And if you work with Team Flare, I _so_ guarantee that we can publish some fabulous results!"

The questioning look in Sycamore's eyes made it clear that he didn't entirely understand.

"You see, Team Flare has discovered that Pokemon release a tremendous amount of energy when they Mega Evolve," sneered Celosia, placing her hands on her hips. "It's our goal to put that energy to good use, and harness it in a way that will make everyone's lives better."

"We only want what's best, right?" Pink Ribbons continued perkily. "So Professor, I _so_ think you should join our cause so we can totally make the world a better place. Team Flare pays handsomely, so it will be _so_ worth your while."

He stepped back, ending up level with Sina and Dexio. "Not interested," he stated firmly. "I'm quite content with my work here at my own lab, and even if I wasn't, I still wouldn't voluntarily lend my assistance to you Team Flare criminals."

Celosia scowled deeply. "Why you –"

A dainty, white-gloved hand stopped her from advancing. Pink Ribbons didn't even look at the Flare scientist, instead keeping her charming smile trained on the owner of the research facility they stood in.

"But that's like totally the best part!" she said happily. She did a little hop and brought her leg up behind her, pressing her hands together and giggling cutely. "I'm an admin of Team Flare and totally the official head of the lab, so I'd still be doing all the work. You'd totally not have to lift a finger! All we need from you are the results of your research and like, say, two of your test subjects. It's oh so totally worth it, right?"

Her terms only made Professor Sycamore warier, and rightly so. "I'm not handing over any of my work to you people!" he protested. "And anyway, I don't even know where I'd get a Mega Evolving Pokemon and corresponding Mega Stone to study. They're extremely rare."

"Oh? How funny," Pink Ribbons chuckled, then narrowed her eyes and _smirked_. "Because there are two of them standing right behind you."

No longer seeming as innocent as she pretended to be, Pink Ribbons pointed straight at Sina's Garchomp and another Pokemon that stood at Dexio's side – a Gallade, if Volan remembered correctly.

"They knew it all along," realized Calem. "Professor, they probably came here to steal your research subjects!"

When Pink Ribbons flicked her eyes in Calem's direction, her smile turned predatory. "Ooh, aren't _you_ a cute one?" she flirted in a sickeningly sweet tone. "I should _so_ take you along with the Pokemon as my reward for all the trouble I went through locating them."

Calem blanched. Frankly, Volan didn't blame him one bit. This woman had gone from mildly creepy to downright disturbing in less time than it took to roast a Sewaddle.

"That's not going to happen," insisted Professor Sycamore. He flung his arm out to try and protect the Trainers behind him. "Submit at once and leave, or I'll have no choice to use force."

"Heh, that's supposed to be my line," Celosia said, then her face contorted in a snarl. " _Grab them!_ "

With completely ordinary yells, no embarrassing cheers or over-the-top battle cries involved, the six Team Flare grunts charged forward so that they were between their superiors and their enemies and hurled their Poke Balls. There were a Gulpin, Trubbish, Scraggy, Croagunk, Skorupi, and Purrloin that appeared on the floor, all of which looking more than ready to attack.

"Garchomp, get them!" called Sina.

"You too, Gallade!" added Dexio.

Smirking, Pink Ribbons drew her arm from behind her back and tossed something at Garchomp. Celosia did the same for Gallade, but the Psychic-and-Fighting-type was nimble enough to duck out of the way. Garchomp was too slow, and the object opened up to extend a metallic band that wrapped tightly around the dragon's neck. The second object did the same when it got close to Professor Sycamore, pinning his arms painfully to his sides.

"No, Professor!" cried Shauna, rushing to his aid.

"It won't budge!" Thrin exclaimed, tugging at the bands. "Volan, what do we do?"

But Volan wasn't listening. He was too busy concentrating on Garchomp. She was writhing around wildly, her claws held against her neck as she tried with no success to pull the constricting collar off. A red light glowed on the cube in the center, causing the adornment to flash with what looked like crimson electricity.

"GAAAARRR!" roared Garchomp, reacting to the effects of the collar.

"What's wrong, Garchomp?" Sina wailed. She moved forward as if to rescue her Pokemon. "Hold on, I'm going to get that off!"

Sycamore frantically shook his head. "No, Sina! It won't do any good! I don't know why I didn't recognize her before…" he grimaced, probably cursing himself for not remembering. "She's from a criminal organization that disbanded many years ago – that's Lovrina from Team Cipher!"

Lovrina's eyes practically _glowed_ , their poisonous green shade perfectly matching her sadistic grin. "You are _so_ behind the times, dear professor. It was oh so frustrating when all my work in Cipher was destroyed, but Team Flare's given us all another chance. Soon, we'll be totally ruling the world, the brand-new world that Team Flare is planning to create!"

"GABUUUURRR!" Garchomp screamed as if to emphasize this. The sparks around the collar were more frequent and powerful than ever, prompting her to thrash even more wildly in throes of pain.

Volan had no idea what was going on right now – he'd never heard of a Team Cipher in his life, and this Lovrina woman was confusing him further with talk of building a new world and other such things – but he'd be damned if he didn't do something about all of this. For now, the details didn't matter. All that mattered was that Team Flare was at it again, and Garchomp was in grave danger.

"Everyone stand back!" Tierno warned, and he and the others shuffled back several paces. "That Garchomp's not in control of itself!"

Immediately proving his point, Garchomp's eyes flashed red and she launched a destructive Hyper Beam straight over their heads. The wall on the second floor stood no chance, being blown to smithereens and releasing an enormous cloud of concrete dust and smoke into the lobby.

"Piper, get Bernice and the others!" ordered Volan.

The Fletchinder, who had been hovering over his head this whole time, nodded and flew off toward the greenhouse with a parting chirp.

"Go with her, Akuma!" Thrin commanded. "Get the rest of my Pokemon as well!"

He didn't hesitate, wheeling after Piper as quickly as he could.

" _And us, Boss?_ " asked Edgar.

"Combee bee, beebee?" Majesty added. " _What do you wish of us, Your Highness?_ "

Whatever Volan was going to say was cut short by Garchomp's second Hyper Beam, which struck the window directly above Team Flare and blew it out in a titanic explosion of glass and brick. A gaping hole now existing where a wall used to be, there was nothing standing in Garchomp's way as she rocketed off the floor at mach speeds and into the sky beyond.

More explosions.

Car alarms.

Screaming.

Gritting his teeth, Volan directed his glare at Lovrina and Celosia. He felt the familiar hatred bubbling up to the surface, the old resentment he always felt back in Unova whenever he encountered Team Plasma.

"Professor, I'll take these Trainers out of here," Dexio volunteered. "Once they're safe, then Gallade and I can try to free Garchomp from that strange collar."

"You wish!" yelled Celosia, a Poke Ball appearing in her hand as if by magic. "Drapion, crush him!"

The Ogre Scorpion Pokemon appeared with a guttural cry of "Drrrrr-rah!" and started firing Pin Missiles from its claws. On Dexio's command, Gallade shot forward and sliced straight through the projectiles with a perfectly-executed Psycho Cut before they could hit anyone. The lobby shook with the ensuing explosions, and filled up with obscuring smoke.

"This way!" the blond lab assistant cried, and fled through the smoke with Calem and the other Trainers hot on his heels.

But Volan and Thrin did not follow. If they went with Dexio, Professor Sycamore would be vulnerable. Who knew to what lengths these Team Flare… Cipher… _whatever_ agents would go to 'convince' the good professor to help them further their evil goals.

Seeing that they had escaped, Celosia let out a growl and ordered harshly, "You, go after them! Make sure they don't reach Garchomp!"

The Team Flare goons under her command all saluted as one, then dashed out of the building with their Pokemon trailing behind them.

That only left Volan, Thrin, and Sycamore.

"Still want to play, little ones?" Lovrina giggled. "Fine, I've been so totally looking forward to this. Go, Altaria!"

The capsule she flung into the air released an elegant bird Pokemon with wings like the fluffiest of clouds. The Altaria sung a clear note as it soared upwards to eclipse the sun streaming in through the hole in the wall.

"Edgar, Majesty, don't worry about fighting for long," Volan assured his partners. "Just hold Altaria off until the stronger Pokemon get here."

"They _so_ won't even last that long!" cackled Lovrina, her tone going from airy to completely dark, her eyes flashing with the light of sadism. "Altaria, use Shadow Rave!"

"Tyltariiiii~!" the cloud-bird Pokemon sang out. A dark purple aura flickered briefly over its body, then out blasted a series of deadly-looking energy geysers.

As Volan watched in shock, the wave plowed swiftly forward and then erupted in one final blast straight into Edgar and Majesty, enveloping them in crackling darkness. The poor little Combee couldn't take it and dropped like a stone, while Edgar fluttered awkwardly in an attempt not to fall.

" _Yer messin' wit the wrong gang, see?_ " the Murkrow strained to speak. " _Youse is just… gonna hafta… deal wit…_ "

His tired words were cut short by the red light of a Poke Ball lancing out to reclaim him and let him rest. A second beam followed, returning Majesty as well.

 _What is up with that Pokemon?_ the Gurei boy silently asked, still feeling the shivers traveling down his spine from when the energy from that unnatural attack rippled through the air. He'd never felt anything like it, and never wanted to again, for as long as he lived.

No… he _had_ heard something about Cipher, he realized. Something about… about Pokemon with unusual properties, warped into heartless monsters with the technology developed by… who? Oh, _why_ couldn't he remember?

"Drapion, Sludge Bomb!" snarled Celosia.

"Altaria, finish this with Shadow Break!" Lovrina grinned.

"Doooo-rap!" Drapion growled, launching its toxins.

"Tarrrrriiii!" Altaria screeched fiercely, the shadowy light shining so brightly over its body that it was almost blinding.

Volan and Thrin braced themselves, but then…

"Feeeezant!"

"BOOOOAR!"

Flames shot through the air to incinerate the Sludge Bomb, passing so close to the Gureis that they could feel the intense heat on their necks and faces. An instant later, golden light filled the lobby and slammed into Altaria like a physical force, throwing the bird away like so much trash.

Blinking rapidly to adjust to the sudden absence of light, Volan felt his soul rise up and soar with hope – it was Bernice, her Sky Attack having saved him. Behind her were his other Pokemon, all of them wearing tense, battle-ready expressions that advertised that they were ready to band together under their Trainer's command once more.

"Piper, return!" Volan said, drawing the inexperienced flier back into her ball. "Grunge and Bernice, you come help me fight! Professor Sycamore, stand back!"

As the Pokemon dutifully stomped forward to do battle with Team Flare, the bound professor shook his head worriedly. "Volan, please be careful! I have no doubt that's one of the Shadow Pokemon that the Cipher organization once used! They're vicious fighters and their attacks are super-effective against any type!"

Planting her hands on her hips, Lovrina smirked triumphantly. "That's right, dear professor. And soon, your beloved Garchomp will _so_ become one of them. You can _totally_ thank my genius invention!"

Volan cast a significant look at the distressed man. _Don't worry,_ he willed his stare to say, and hoped Sycamore read it correctly. _While we fight here, the others will take care of Garchomp._

"Bernice, Grunge, get ready," he muttered.

"You too, Oliver and Luna!" added Thrin.

The Trash Heap Pokemon flexed his arms above his head and let out a hollow-sounding roar. " _I'm with you all the way, Volan!_ "

" _Let's give them what for!_ " cried Bernice, spreading her wings.

Oliver snorted fire and bellowed to his opponents, " _YOU'D BETTER FEAR, DEMONS FROM THE PIT! FOR THE GREAT OLIVER IS HERE!_ "

Yawning, Luna curled up a little more tightly and murmured, " _Whatever you say, Mistress Thrin…_ "

The two villains backed off, evil grins contorting their features as they let Drapion and Altaria advance forward to do battle against the siblings.

As voices began to shout commands, projectile moves began to fly, and all eyes present were locked on the terrible battle between good and evil, no-one noticed a pair of small, frog-like figures slip into the room and then slip back out with equal stealthiness.

-.-.-.-.-.

Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town, was excitedly racing down the streets of Lumiose City, his loyal Pikachu clinging to his shoulder as usual. An aspiring 'Pokemon master', the seventeen-year-old boy from Kanto was well on his way to achieving that goal. He'd been a Trainer for three straight years and had taken part in the Kanto, Unova, and Hoenn Leagues in that order.

And after his last journey, he was here now, with winning the Kalos League on his brain. He'd gotten closer than ever to a win at a regional League last year, as a quarterfinalist in Hoenn, and his chances of victory now were better than ever.

It was this thought that propelled him through the streets, his eyes focused on the sight of the glistening Prism Tower. He'd be making his Kalos debut this very evening, in Lumiose City.

But when he turned the next corner, something killed that thought _real_ fast.

He emerged from a side street and instantly backpedaled to avoid a Hyper Beam that carved a steaming trench through the pavement inches from his feet.

"WHOA!" he shouted, heart pounding furiously from the nearness of that narrow miss. "What was –"

"GAAAAAARR!"

A Garchomp streaked by overhead, its fins acting as wings as it dove erratically through the sky and fired Hyper Beams at anything that caught its attention. Citizens of Lumiose screamed and ran as its destructive attacks wrecked cars and brought entire walls of buildings crumbling to the ground. In seconds, the street on which Ash stood was a terrible mess.

"Pika, chu pika pikapi!" squeaked Pikachu, urgently.

"You're right, that Pokemon needs help," Ash agreed, not fully understanding the Pokemon-speak his partner used but getting the gist of it anyways. "Looks like its heading to the big tower. Come on, let's go after it!"

"Pika Pikachu!" the little rodent responded.

But before they could go, they were stopped by a voice. "Froak!"

Stopping, Ash realized that he knew that voice. Indeed, when he looked down at his feet, he saw the familiar blue Pokemon staring bravely up at him despite its injuries.

"You're the Froakie I found and brought to the lab earlier today, aren't you?" he asked.

The Water-type nodded and hopped closer to him, then raised a little white hand to point in the direction of the tower and croaked repeatedly. "Froak, froak, Froakie!"

"Hold on a sec," Ash said in wonder. He bent down to the Froakie's level and asked, "You and that Garchomp are good buddies at the lab, right? Do you want to come with me to save it?"

He got a determined nod from the Froakie, its intentions made bright and clear by the glare in its large yellow orbs.

With that agreed upon, Ash picked up the amphibian and set it down on his other shoulder, where it was greeted by Pikachu. It chirped a reply and clung tightly to his vest with its sticky feet, ready to go chase after the rogue dragon.

"Wait!"

Ash turned around, in time to see a group of kids his age led by a pair of slightly older Trainers stop their running to address him.

"What are you doing out in the open?" the tall blonde one demanded. His Gallade mirrored his severe expression. "Can't you see it's dangerous to be wandering around right now?"

"Hey, I only just got here!" Ash replied defensively. "And I might not know what's going on, but no way are Pikachu and I not going to come and help!"

"Pikapika!" Pikachu added, passion making his voice rage like a fire.

The purple-haired woman next to him grabbed his hand and insisted, "Dexio, we need to get to my poor Garchomp! Let him come with us, just don't waste any more time!"

"W-We n-need all the h-help we can g-get right n-now!" added a short orange-haired boy who was shaking like a leaf with fear.

The one named Dexio gave them a single nod. "Follow us, but hurry," he told Ash. "Garchomp's in pain from Team Flare's collar. We need to destroy it before…"

He didn't finish the sentence, but Ash didn't care. The Ketchum boy took a step forward and gave a determined fist-pump. "Got it. Lead the way, Dexio, and Pikachu and I will do everything we can to make sure Garchomp is saved."

Several of the Trainers alongside Sina and Dexio exchanged awestruck glances. The way this unknown boy volunteered himself to join their mission with such confidence and without hesitation – he must be a powerful and experienced Trainer, indeed.

They turned around, ready to chase after Garchomp toward Prism Tower…

… only to see the Dragon-and-Ground-type flying their way, a dark silhouette with burning red eyes against the flaming orange twilight sky.

"GAABUUUURR!" Garchomp howled, launching another Hyper Beam.

As the purple-black beam raced toward them, the Trainers froze dead in their tracks, unable to do anything but stare fearfully at the rapidly-advancing harbinger of their doom.

The only one who did anything was Ash. Acting on instinct, he grabbed the nearest person and held tightly onto them while using his body as a shield. He buried his face into the person's shoulder, already anticipating the feeling of the energy beam striking fatally against his exposed back.

"Gallade, Focus Blast!" yelled Dexio.

"Lade!" the sword-armed Pokemon cried, launching a golden blast from the gleaming edge of his blade.

The Focus Blast struck the Hyper Beam, somehow managing to hold its position in the air despite the beam being twice its diameter. It went off all of a sudden with a deafening *BANG!* that sent a shockwave out to sweep dirt off the pavement. When the smoke cleared and the Trainers felt their hearing come back, Garchomp was flying back toward Prism Tower, hard to see against the darkening sky.

Ash allowed himself to relax, and pushed himself away from the person he'd attempted to protect, although his hands still remained clamped to that person's shoulders. In a snappish voice that was harsh with concern, he demanded, "Are you alright?"

The girl looked about his age, and had thick blonde hair and a sweet face that was currently tinted with delicate pink. Her intense blue eyes were as wide as they could go, staring at him with wonder.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ash asked again, giving her a hard shake to startle her out of whatever shock was holding her prisoner.

It did the trick, snapping her out of her trance, but she only blushed harder and refused to meet his gaze. "I-I'm… I'm fine…"

Finally, he let her go and regarded the rest of the Trainers. They all looked somewhat startled – some of them were borderline terrified – but nevertheless, none failed to turn their faces to Dexio and Sina, silently asking them what to do next.

"Come on, this way," Dexio motioned them towards a narrow side street. "I know the quickest way to Prism Tower. If we're lucky, we can even get there before Garchomp."

"We're coming, Garchomp!" Sina called out to her Pokemon.

The group followed the two oldest without hesitation, but one lagged behind. Still half-numb, Serena brought her hand to her chest, somehow managing to keep pace with the others despite being distracted by the most intoxicating fluttering sensation deep in her heart…

-.-.-.-.-.

At long last, Sera had made it.

 _Lumiose City,_ she thought, breathing in deeply and savoring the fresh evening air. _Goodbye, Santalune. Here, my Pokemon and I will earn our first badge._

She allowed a faint smile to tweak her lips upward at the edges.

It was easy to see where Prism Tower awaited her – it literally towered above all the other buildings in the city, after all. Her dark eyes locked on the tower's pinnacle, Sera rounded the nearest corner, feeling eager to get there.

When she turned down the next street, something coming the other way smacked lightly into her. The impact was enough to make Sera stumble and blink with surprise.

It was that shiny Froakie, the one owned by the Gurei girl.

"What are you doing out here, without your Trainer?" Sera asked it, confused.

The Froakie shook its head to clear it, then gazed up at her with an unreadable look. It was impossible to tell what it was thinking.

"Froak," it then spoke, pointing to something behind Sera with a little finger.

She turned around to see what the Froakie was indicating. Immediately, she saw a Pokemon circling in the sky somewhere close to Prism Tower, firing random blasts at the buildings down below. Explosions sounded, followed by screams.

Then, movement caught Sera's eye, intriguing her. Down a street some distance away, she saw figures dressed in all red heading in the direction of the rampaging Pokemon.

"Now what's all that about…" murmured Sera. Were those people in red trying to stop the Pokemon? Perhaps it belonged to them?

She was almost unwilling to admit that she was curious, as she had a Gym battle to get to – but then again, that angry Pokemon was getting closer and closer to the tower by the minute, so it might be safer to make sure it was subdued before doing anything else.

Her next immediate goal in mind, Sera nodded to herself and started forwards.

The shiny Froakie, seemingly satisfied that it had led her to get involved, hopped quickly after her.

-.-.-.-.-.

 **When I start hyping a big tournament arc long before it actually happens, you know it's going to be tremendous.**

 **That moment when you remember too late that Team Flare actually had admins in the games… (Those admins were essentially stronger grunts, though, so giving them actual admins is still viable as a plot twist.)**

 **You know what else is a plot twist? The identity of said admin! The remnants of Cipher have risen up from the dead years after Gen 3 and have allied with Team Flare? What madness is this? Obviously, not everything will be revealed right now, but for now, just review and stay tuned for what comes next!**

 **Next chapter** **: Fighting Against the Shadow!**

 **Chapter Question #14: For those who have played Pokemon Colosseum or XD, would you like to see another Shadow Pokemon game in the future?**

 **I'd certainly like to, especially with so many new Pokemon to potentially turn evil.**

 **-.-.-.-.-.**

 **Volan's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Edgar (Murkrow, male)  
** **Ability: Super Luck**

 **Piper (Fletchinder, female)  
** **Ability: Flame Body**

 **Majesty (Combee, female)  
** **Ability: Honey Gather**

 **Thrin's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Akuma (Vivillon, male)  
** **Ability: Compound Eyes**


	20. Fighting Against the Shadow!

**_Chapter 19 – Fighting Against the Shadow!_**

 **Last time on "Flight of a Legend"…**

 **Asking them to help them in his current research, Professor Sycamore revealed the existence of Mega Evolution to the Gurei siblings and young Trainers. Promising to tell them more about it when the time came, he left them to their own devices – but soon, Team Flare attacked the lab! They brought along a woman named Lovrina, who commanded a vicious Altaria and trapped Sina's Garchomp in some kind of madness-inducing collar. Volan and Thrin stayed behind to fight the Flare admin while the rest went after Garchomp…**

-.-.-.-.-.

By now, news of the destruction spread by the rampaging Garchomp had spread throughout Lumiose. A news copter from the Lumiose News Station was already in the air, flying in wide circles above the city as close to Garchomp as possible, while at the same time trying to stay far enough to not get hit by a wild Hyper Beam. It was trickier to accomplish than it sounded.

Garchomp was currently throwing her tantrum on Hibernal Avenue, although that could change at a moment's notice. She was heading steadily southwards in the direction of Prism Tower, but was also taking her sweet time getting there, preferring to exhale Hyper Beam after Hyper Beam at anything that moved in the streets below. The sounds of the explosions echoed around the city for miles, striking fear and inspiring dread in the hearts of thousands, even if they were relatively far away from the mad dragon's location.

In one particular home around Jaune Plaza, a little girl was feeling quite jumpy. Her father was out on an errand and her big brother was still at the Gym, so she huddled in her room nervously. Occasionally, she'd hear a distant explosion, reminding her that the raging Pokemon was still at large.

But it'd be okay. She just had to be strong, and hold onto the hope that someone like Garchomp's Trainer or Blaziken Mask would put a stop to it.

"Squishy?" the little girl called tremulously, turning her head toward the window.

Something rustled in the terrarium placed there on the windowsill. The rectangular glass box was filled to bursting with small plants, so it was impossible to see anything inside of it. But then, something green and amorphous hopped to the top of the anvil-shaped rock that rose slightly above the terrarium's walls.

The green creature looked inquisitively at its caretaker and warbled softly.

"You're not feeling nervous, are you Squishy?" she asked. She hopped off her bed and climbed up onto a chair so she could reach the terrarium. Patting the creature's head with a worried frown, she added, "Don't be scared. It'll be over soon, okay?"

"Wululu…" it bubbled, leaning slightly into her touch.

Another explosion sounded off in the distance. As the sound faded, the child thought she could faintly make out the Garchomp's furious roar. The idea made her shiver.

"It… it will be over soon, r-right?" she finished, uncertainly.

Apparently much less concerned than she was, the creature stretched itself out tiredly and laid down on its rock to catch the last remaining rays of the sun. It closed its single eye and let out a soft sigh.

 _Do not fret, Little One,_ it thought, sensing her fear and wishing there was more it could do to help. _We promise you, it will not last…_

-.-.-.-.-.

"There!" shouted Dexio, raising his hand to the sky and pointing.

Sure enough, as everyone looked toward where his finger indicated, there was Garchomp, circling the top of Prism Tower. She seemed so far away, as high up as she was, barely visible against the darkening sky. Indeed, with the sun starting to vanish over the horizon, the bright orange leaching away and leaving nothing but dim violet in its absence. Soon, it would be night-dark.

"How are we going to get to her?" asked Calem, shading his eyes as he leaned back to better view the tower's apex. "I don't think we can climb up, and unless anyone has a big enough Flying-type…"

"But we can't stand around and do nothing!" Ash exclaimed. He glared at them, although it was with pure determination and not annoyance. "We've _got_ to get up there. There's no other option!"

Several of the new Trainers were speechless with the amount of passion he spoke with, as if he literally saw no other path before him and was dedicated to forging down the only one open to him. Serena in particular was breathless, and stared at him with wide-eyed awe.

Shivering, Trevor protested, "B-But Calem has a point… u-unless we can f-find a way to c-climb up…"

"I've got it," Sina stated. She didn't so much as glance at any of them – her gaze was locked on the tower, and the tower alone. "There is a way we can get up there, but only a couple of us can go. Remember, Dexio?"

He snapped his fingers as the memory surfaced. "Right, the railing on the side of the tower. But it only goes up to about halfway."

"That's fine!" Ash approved. "We can find a way to get to Garchomp from there. Can you lead us there, Dexio and Sina?"

Up above, Garchomp's flight had become noticeably wobblier after she launched a couple more Hyper Beams. As if she had finally started to exhaust herself, the Dragon-and-Ground-type slowly descended in an unsteady flight path to land near the peak of Prism Tower, disappearing from view as she did so.

Suddenly, Sina spoke up in a clear, carrying voice. "Professor Sycamore said that woman used to be involved with Cipher," she announced to the group. "Or at least, she was until that organization was broken up several years ago. That means she probably knows how to create Shadow Pokemon. That means… oh no…"

"That means what?" asked Tierno.

In a tone that was heavy with worry and despair, Sina finished, "It means that Garchomp is in grave danger. We have to get to her and destroy that collar before it's too late."

"Just leave destroying it to me and Pikachu," volunteered Ash. The Kantonian boy stuck a thumb towards himself and grinned confidently.

"Pikachu pika!" the Electric-type on his shoulder squeaked.

"Frooooh!" added the Froakie that was with him as well.

With their next course of action officially decided, the gang turned as one toward Prism Tower and began to head down the street in its direction. If not all of them, then definitely Sina and Dexio knew that the road they were on would lead directly to Centrico Plaza, where Prism Tower stood tall and proud in the center of Lumiose City.

However, they had only gone a few steps when they found their path blocked. A wall of glaring scarlet had risen up to stop their progress – that is, a wall made up of six Team Flare grunts, with their Pokemon standing obediently before them.

"They found us!" Shauna wailed.

"Who's 'they'?" asked Ash, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at the members of Flare.

A few members of the group – Shauna, Serena, Tierno, and Calem specifically – had only just learned of Team Flare's existence today, and as such were in no position to explain. But Trevor hesitantly stepped up and spoke in his quavering voice, bringing as much as he could to light.

"They're an o-organization," he said quietly. "V-Volan, Th-Thrin, and I encountered them t-twice before already. W-We don't know what their g-goals are, b-but they're dangerous and are n-not above stealing P-Pokemon from others."

Instantly, Ash seemed to ignite in a towering rage. "Pokemon thieves!" he seethed, clenching a fist. "Man, people like that are the lowest of the low!"

"Piiiii-ka!" growled Pikachu, and hopped to the ground in preparation for a battle.

But before the Ketchum boy could call an attack, he felt an arm take a strong grip on his wrist. It was Sina, pulling him back from the battle that he was so looking forward to.

"No, not now," she protested. "We agreed that we'd go after Garchomp together, right?"

While Ash grudgingly came to terms with that, the purple-haired young woman turned to her blonde partner. "Dexio, there are six of you and six of them. Can you keep these Trainers safe?"

"You know you can trust me," Dexio replied, seriously. "Leave everything to me and the others. Go and get your Pokemon back, Sina, and quickly."

She paused only to give her colleague and friend a swift, yet heartfelt, hug, and then she was dashing off toward Prism Tower with Ash close behind.

"No you don't!" yelled one of the Team Flare grunts that blocked their way. "Trubbish, use Sludge!"

The Poison-type sprang forward, its mouth already bubbling with toxins. But it had barely even launched the projectile when a blast of water shot past Sina and Ash to smack into it, making it splatter harmlessly all over the pavement.

Surprised, the duo turned around to see Tierno's Squirtle give them a thumbs-up, while the others sent out their own Starter Pokemon to do battle against Team Flare as well.

"We've got this, you two!" Tierno called, shooting finger guns at them. "Now get your groove on and go save Garchomp!"

With a silent nod of thanks, Ash and Sina began their run anew. This time, the two made it past the lackeys and charged down the street, right toward Prism Tower.

"Stop them in the name of Team Flare!" a grunt shouted.

But no attacks against the fleeing pair could be called, for at that moment, a flurry of leaves bombarded the ground at their feet. The grunts turned back around, meeting the eyes of six angry Trainers.

"Hey, your fight's with us now!" Shauna declared, while her Bulbasaur stood its ground and growled. "I'm telling you, you vivillains are really starting to ledybug me!"

No other words needed to be said. The Flare goons replied to her statement with a flurry of attacks from their Pokemon, and the young Kalos crew responded in kind. And soon, the otherwise empty street was a frenzy of violent activity as the two sides battled it out, evenly matched and unwilling to back down.

Sina's dear companion, Garchomp, was at stake.

-.-.-.-.-.

Not even two minutes into the battle, Volan found himself thanking Arceus that Team Flare had decided to make their next appearance while he was visiting Professor Sycamore's lab.

This was because, had they had attacked while he was anywhere else, he wouldn't have had his Unovan team to protect him, Thrin, and the professor. The scientist, Celosia, and admin, Lovrina, both had Pokemon that neither Edgar nor Piper nor Majesty stood even a remote chance against.

But his Unovan Pokemon? Yeah, they'd faced down the boss of Team Plasma and lived to tell the tale, so Team Flare wouldn't be any problem.

He let Thrin handle Celosia and her Drapion while he commanded Bernice and Grunge against Lovrina and her Altaria. It took him maybe ten seconds to realize that that bird was absolutely insane. Throwing pretty much every stereotype ever assigned to an Altaria out the window, it came at him and his Pokemon while screeching like a demon and unleashing the most horrendous, unnatural attacks possible at them. Every time it used one of its 'Shadow' moves, Volan would feel a disturbing tingle crawl down his spine, as if the energy being released was an offense to the very fabric of the universe.

"Taaaaariiiii!" the Dragon-and-Flying-type now screamed, spewing noxious black-purple fog that seemed to sparkle with shadowy light from the aura that appeared around its body.

Case in point, Volan noted while gritting his teeth. That was Shadow Mist, if he remembered the name correctly, and it clung to the bodies of Bernice and Grunge, severely limiting their ability to avoid the opposing Pokemon's moves.

"Grunge, Gunk Shot!" he commanded. And even as he did so, he caught Bernice's eye and nodded.

The Garbodor brought his pipe-like arms together and formed a large trash bag-shaped projectile between his hands, which he then hurled into the air to bombard Altaria with the toxic shrapnel that it burst into. At the same time, Bernice's beak glowed and she exhaled a powerful Heat Wave, responding to her dear master's unspoken command.

"You are oh so annoying, little boy!" Lovrina complained, childishly stamping her foot. "Altaria, use Shadow Rave!"

The cloud-like avian surrounded itself with its dark aura once more, and then released the energy as an advancing wave of shadowy geysers.

"Hey, you're not that much older than I am!" retorted Volan. "Grunge, block that with Seed Bomb!"

" _You got it!_ " he replied, and aimed his multi-barreled right arm to shoot a barrage of volatile seeds at the ground, in hopes of blocking the incoming attack.

The seeds detonated with bursts of flame and smoke, tearing holes in the floor with the strength of their detonations, but they did nothing to stop Shadow Rave. The geysers marched straight through the onslaught of seeds and burst with an immense crackling of dark energy when they reached Bernice and Grunge. Both Pokemon stumbled back and cringed at the vile energy that had briefly consumed them, but otherwise, they looked fine.

"Ready a Solar Beam," Volan muttered, barely loud enough for the Poison-type to hear. "Then hit Altaria with Body Slam."

Grunge's ear tufts started to glow faintly as they absorbed the fading light from the setting sun. Once he was sure he could keep the growing charge steady, he leapt up into the air with a bellowing roar and bore down on Altaria.

"Shadow Break, like, now!" demanded Lovrina.

"Not so fast," Volan snapped.

That was Bernice's cue. After a split second of eye contact with her master, the Unfezant used Hypnosis, sending out a spinning trio of orbs right into Altaria's breast. The purple aura faded as it lost concentration, its eyelids drooping as it started to fall into slumber.

And that was when Grunge landed directly on top of it, eliciting a shriek of pain from the cloud-bird as it was crushed into the ground under his massive weight.

With Altaria momentarily rendered helpless, Volan risked a glance at Grunge's ear tufts. They were shining more brightly than before, but still had a ways to go before they absorbed enough light to power a Solar Beam.

Suddenly, Grunge seemed to tremble. The Garbodor looked startled for a moment – and then a pillar of Shadow Rave erupted from beneath him and sent him flying sky-high with a gurgling bellow. He hit the ceiling with enough force to send cracks running across the surface, and then plummeted back down to earth.

"Grunge, return!" Volan called through gritted teeth, knowing when a partner of his could no longer fight on. "Rickie, come fight in his stead!"

" _That's my cue,_ " the Seismitoad rumbled to the other Pokemon as he walked forward to take Grunge's place. " _Wish me luck, okay guys?_ "

Rudy grumbled under his breath, " _Why ain't we all rushin' into battle instead of going at it two at a time? This ain't no time to play fair!_ "

" _It's possible Master Volan doesn't want to think of himself as worse, or at least as bad as, Team Flare by ganging up on one Pokemon,_ " Sol explained patiently, " _no matter how powerful said Pokemon may be._ "

Barely hearing the conversation his Pokemon were having behind him, Volan directed Rickie and Bernice into battle while trying to think of a new strategy. His Solar Beam plan had failed, and there would be no using Dig on artificial terrain (well, maybe he could if he tried, but Professor Sycamore's floor would be demolished…).

Finally, he decided that a direct approach would work best for now. "Heat Wave and Hyper Voice!"

"Feeeez!" Bernice shrilled, spewing hot air from her beak.

"TOOOOOAD!" Rickie roared, and unleashed a destructive blast of sonics.

But Lovrina ordered a Shadow Break, and Altaria forced its way through the ranged moves as if they posed no resistance at all. Its shining purple body collided with both Bernice and Rickie with a great burst of shadowy energy. The two of them fell back, their forms sparking with darkness after being hit with such a ruthless attack.

An aggravated snarl from the other side of the room momentarily drew Volan's attention away from his own battle. Thrin was having a much easier time than he was, it seemed – she was commanding Luna and Oliver against Celosia's Drapion, and she seemed to be winning. Volan saw Oliver's fist connect solidly with the Poison-and-Dark-type's chin, sending its neck hurtling backwards from the blow. Luna floated out of the way of Drapion's flailing claw and peppered its side with Shadow Balls.

"Volan!" came Professor Sycamore's shout. "Look out!"

He turned back around right on time to see a solid wave of shadow marching straight toward him. Eyes widening in panic, he instantly ordered, "Bernice and Rickie, aim Heat Wave and Hydro Pump at one spot to block it!"

His Pokemon didn't hesitate, launching burning air and a torrent of water at the center of the Shadow Rave. Surprisingly, the moves connected with the wall and pushed against it to slow its progress. And after a couple of seconds, Bernice and Rickie were putting enough power into their attacks to actually halt the Shadow Rave's progress. The two opposing forces pushed back and forth against each other for a minute or so, and then canceled each other out with a mighty explosion of fire, water, and darkness.

Surprised, Lovrina took a step back, her green eyes wide. "Oh, that was oh so impressive!" she gasped. "Have you considered like, switching sides, cute boy? Team Flare could _so_ use strong Trainers like you."

Bristling at the 'cute boy' comment, Volan fired back, "Not a chance. I've seen enough of you to know I want nothing to do with your gang."

The pink-haired woman was slightly disappointed. "Aww, that is _so_ not cool of you to refuse my oh so generous offer. Maybe you'll change your mind after my Shadow Pokemon sets you straight."

With the cruel grin back on her face, she commanded, "Altaria, another Shadow Break!"

"Tyyyyyll!" it screeched.

"Façade and Drain Punch, together!" shouted Volan.

The three Pokemon crashed into each other, but the glowing-white Bernice and Rickie's sickly-green fist proved strong enough to outmatch Altaria and send it flying back toward its evil mistress.

"Oh, you!" Lovrina protested, stamping her foot again. "I'll convince you! Pain can be _oh so_ persuasive! Use Shadow Break," she ordered Altaria, "on _him_!"

All of a sudden, the white wings of the Shadow Pokemon were filling his vision, and he stumbled back in shock. The purple aura flashed, and a potent burst of fear flooded his veins.

Then there was nothing but pain. Pain as the Shadow energy crackled through him, pain as he hit the ground, pain as he skidded partway up the staircase on the other side of the lobby. Angry, burning, infernal pain that consumed every inch of his body.

All he could hear was the pounding of the blood in his ears – not Professor Sycamore shouting, not Lovrina's sadistic cackle, not the opening of more Poke Balls, not the screaming of his own Pokemon.

-.-.-.-.-.

Thrin whipped around to see her brother crumpled, barely conscious, on the stairs, she felt her blood freeze and her body turn cold. Eyes wide with horror, she watched as his Pokemon crowded around him, all crying and shouting at once in their unique voices. Dark purple sparks jittered over his unmoving form at random intervals, leaving little doubt as to the cause of his current ill state.

She turned her gaze, rapidly evolving into a blazing glare, on the Shadow Pokemon that floated calmly on its delicate wings at the behest of its evil mistress. Her blue eyes – indeed the same intense sapphire-blue shade as her brother's – burned with the heat of the sun as the rage within her grew. She trembled, hands clenching into tight fists as she fought to prevent her anger from bursting out.

It was only for a second, but her attention slipped from the battle she was currently waging against the Team Flare scientist, Celosia. And even though it was, again, for only a second, Celosia seized her advantage.

"Drapion, get them! Cross Poison!" she snarled.

"Doooo-rap!" Drapion snarled as well, and lashed out with its pincers held in an X-shape.

In quick succession, Luna and Oliver were both battered down by the poisonous move, pushed back toward Thrin while heavily cringing with pain.

"Rrrrrem-boooooar!" bellowed Oliver, stomping his foot threateningly.

"Shaaaar…" Luna murmured, and tensed up in her sleep.

Baring her teeth at the purple-haired woman, Thrin yelled, "Don't let that floozy swat you around like that! Flamethrower and Charge Beam, go!"

Her furious scowl only deepening, Celosia shot back, "Who are you calling a –"

The sound of fire and electricity enveloping Drapion and exploding in a massive cloud of smoke drowned out the rest of her sentence.

In the seconds in which her foes were occupied, she couldn't help but turn back to where Volan was. As she watched, Lovrina produced a series of cube-like devices from out of nowhere and hurled them at Volan's distracted Pokemon. Before any of them could react, so preoccupied were they with their fallen friend and master, clamps extended from the strange machines and squeezed their arms or wings to their sides, preventing them from moving. Soon all of the Pokemon were bound as effectively as Professor Sycamore had been.

With nothing able to stop her now, Lovrina smirked as she saucily strutted up to Volan and lifted a slim leg to place her foot on top of him. The heel of her boot dug into his side, which elicited a slight response… but only slight. He twitched a little and his head rolled to the side, and there was perhaps a small noise made in pain, but he was otherwise unresponsive.

"See? I _so_ told you," the Flare admin gloated smugly. "My Shadow Pokemon can't be beat by, like, anything. So why not be a good boy and come join the winning side, hmm?"

Faintly, Thrin could see his eyelids flicker open and his mouth move, but whatever reply he gave was inaudible. Lovrina certainly heard it, though, if the widening of her smirk was anything to go by.

"Oh, I think you _so_ will," she purred. Her foot still pinning him, she bent down until she was on one knee and her long ribbons of hair were brushing the floor. "When we're done, Team Flare will totally be ruling the world while everyone else suffers. So you totally want to come be a part of us."

" _Sludge Bomb!_ " roared Celosia, royally pissed off now.

Whirling back to the battle, Thrin shouted back, "Psybeam, Luna! And Oliver, squash that overgrown woodlouse with Arm Thrust!"

More explosions rocked the lab from the Psychic-type attack meeting the volatile glob of toxins that Drapion spat up. Oliver let out a deafening shout as he charged straight through the temporary cloud of smoke to hammer the Poison-and-Dark-type relentlessly with his beefy arms.

But as if by magic, Thrin heard Lovrina loud and clear as she continued to taunt the helpless Volan. "You're being oh so difficult, cute boy. I should totally take you back to my lab and do _things_ to you. Like I said, torture can be oh so convincing…"

Her hand came down on Volan's throat and wrenched his head back, causing him to cry out.

"Or," she continued, lowering her voice to a soft hiss, "if _pain_ won't work, then _pleasure_ will…"

To Thrin's absolute horror, the pink-haired woman bent down to _lick his neck_. Her predatory grin stretched and her green orbs flashed with cruel amusement, watching him squirm underneath her…

The Gurei girl practically went up in flames. _That's fucking IT._

"VALKYRIE!" she thundered, tossing the Poke Ball she'd grabbed beforehand.

The infamous Scolipede, bloodthirsty as all get out, emerged from the sphere at a full gallop, screeching with rage. She rammed her armored head straight into Lovrina, sending the pink-haired villain flying toward the wall. There was a flash of white and blue, and her Altaria flew in to catch her by the shoulders before she could hit the wall with bone-shattering force.

Thrin saw Celosia's Drapion clattering forward from the corner of her eye, and shouted, "Oliver, another Arm Thrust!"

"BOOOOAAAAR!" the Emboar bellowed, and swung a fist at Drapion.

The Ogre Scorpion Pokemon was ready for him, however, and deftly caught his arm in its pincer. Then, when he tried to punch it with his free fist, it caught that one too. The two Pokemon wrestled with each other, pushing and shoving in hopes of gaining the upper hand.

"Luna, Charge Beam!" she ordered.

While the Musharna's forehead glowed yellow and produced a thin laser beam of electricity to strike Drapion's side, a loud shriek tore through Thrin's ears. Altaria slammed into Valkyrie's armored side with a Shadow Break, effectively drawing the girl's attention and then some.

 _I might've bitten off more than I could chew…_ she realized, now seeing that she was essentially fighting two battles at once. The Drapion she could probably handle, but Lovrina's Shadow Pokemon was something else.

She caught a glimpse of Volan trying to move, behind the advancing Flare admin. Briefly, she let her gaze flick to the Pokemon that lay around him, bound so that they were unable to move. _If only I had his help… If only I could find a way to free them!_

But doing that would not be possible, not as long as Lovrina and Celosia were keeping her busy.

Before they could shout their next commands, she yelled, "Valkyrie, use Poison Jab! Oliver, Heat Crash, and Luna, Shadow Ball!"

With a flick of her hair, Lovrina smirked, "Dodge, then Shadow Mist."

"Get them with Sludge Bomb!" Celosia demanded.

Surprisingly nimble, Oliver jumped straight up into the air, nearly touching the ceiling in the process, and allowed the toxic projectile to sail harmlessly underneath him. Luna quickly formed a Shadow Ball at the end of the cloud of mist billowing from her head, which she then launched to cancel out the poisonous bomb. Oliver came down just then, his entire body enwrapped in an orb of pure fire as he descended upon Drapion. While flames exploded outwards to consume the monstrous scorpion and smoke momentarily filled up most of the lobby, Valkyrie charged at Altaria with her horns glowing a sickly violet. However, the bird floated out of the way before shooting a stream of evil-looking fog from its wings.

But then again, it wasn't counting on Valkyrie turning around and trying a second time. She burst through the cloud of dark, sparkling mist regardless of its effects and smashed her horns into Altaria's body, throwing it off to the side with a melodic cry of pain. While it recovered, Valkyrie hissed with annoyance and shook herself in a vain attempt to rid herself of the mist that seemed to coat her.

"Shadow Break," hissed Lovrina, eyes flashing irritably.

"Tyltaaaaaarrri~," the Dragon-and-Flying sang out, wrapping itself with the by-now familiar dark aura as it drifted forward to hit Valkyrie.

"Rock Climb!" Thrin ordered.

"Scolaaaaaaa!" screeched Valkyrie, rearing up dramatically before smashing her front legs into the floor.

Seconds later, a pillar of rock burst through the floor – sending bits of crushed tile and concrete flying in all directions – to flatten Altaria from below. It sailed off limply, barely struggling in its stunned state, to impact against the wall just above the doorframe on the other side of the room. The impact caused bits of debris to rain down along with a sprinkling of dust, which settled down on the now-unconscious Shadow Pokemon.

And when Thrin followed its unceremonious descent to the ground, her eyes widened. For standing in the doorway, her arms over her head to protect from falling concrete, was the girl from Santalune City – Sera.

"I didn't know what to expect when I followed them here, Nigel," the black-clad girl murmured quietly enough to her Inkay so that only Thrin, who was indeed the only one who had noticed her yet, could hear. "But it certainly wasn't this."

Thrin felt Sera's midnight-blue eyes pass over her as if they had a physical presence on her skin, making it tingle briefly. Then, as she continued to observe the chaos she'd walked into, her eyes fell on Volan, and they widened. Unless that was only Thrin's imagination…

"Oh, this is _so_ not how the plan was supposed to go!" Lovrina wailed, looking ready to throw a tantrum. Pouting, she recalled her Altaria and then swapped the single Poke Ball for two more. "Lilligant and Delcatty, now you totally have to help me wrap this up!"

Another chill washed through Thrin's body as she saw two other Shadow Pokemon appear, practically oozing hatred and evil from every pore. The Lilligant rustled its leafy dress with agitation, while the Delcatty's ruff bristled and its tail twitched like it couldn't wait to pounce.

"Oliver, Luna, Valkyrie… get ready!" Thrin cautioned them, feeling anger pounding through her with every increasing beat of her heart.

Her Pokemon tensed, quivering with exertion from their previous bout and anticipation for the fight still to come. Both sides faced off, seconds away from charging at each other, but then…

"Pin Missile."

Green rockets streaked into the lab and exploded against almost everything – the floor, walls, and the Pokemon under Celosia's and Lovrina's command. Cries of shock filled the room as much as the smoke that blossomed with every explosion. No-one was harmed, as the Pokemon hit directly by the attack simply shrugged it off, but Thrin doubted that Sera's intention was to cause direct harm.

And her suspicion was soon confirmed as Sera stepped forward when the smoke had cleared, defiantly standing up to the agents of Team Flare despite the blatantly obvious – and truly great – gap in power between them.

"I don't know who you are," Sera remarked, as if she had stumbled upon something completely unremarkable, "but you look like enemies."

"Skorrrrr…" growled Skroop, the shiny red Skorupi.

"Inkay!" Nigel rasped, as he bobbed up and down in the air.

Finally, much to Thrin's shock, the shiny Froakie appeared at Sera's side. "Kee kee froak!"

Far from intimidated by the newcomer, Celosia drawled sarcastically, "Oh, would you look at that. Another little wannabe hero has come to stop us. And you've brought us our missing Froakie, too – how nice of you."

Suddenly all smiles, Lovrina shut her eyes and beamed cutely. "You must totally be, like, friends with these children, too! We _so_ don't have time for you right now, so if it's all the same to you, we'll _so_ knock you and your Pokemon out so we can take care of you at our leisure! Delcatty, Shadow Blitz!"

With a yowl, the feline Normal-type rushed forward, its shadowy aura leaving a trail of dark, blazing miasma behind it.

With composure that Thrin thought must have been legendary to keep her cool in this situation, Sera unconcernedly waved her hand. "Nigel, use Foul Play. Skroop, be a dear and give them a Pin Missile."

Letting out a snicker, Nigel darted out of the way of Delcatty's attack and grabbed its tail all in one smooth motion, finishing by throwing the much larger Pokemon over his head so that it collapsed on top of a fearful Lilligant. Then Skroop acted, snapping his tail forward to launch several more green Pin Missiles.

But this time, the missiles weren't aimed at Lovrina or her Pokemon. Rather, they streaked right over their heads, through the lobby, and…

…right into Volan's Pokemon.

The smoke swallowed them up, and the sound of the missiles detonating filled Thrin's ears until she thought they might burst. Déjà vu swamped her along with a healthy dose of horror as the Gurei girl once again watched Bernice and the others get struck.

"How dare y –" she started to yell, only for Sera to shake her head at her dismissively.

This freaking girl _burned her up_.

However, the smoke was cleared with a gust of wind kicked up by the spreading of a familiar pair of wings. Bernice emerged, the binding collar no longer present, followed by the rest of Volan's Pokemon, all with identical expressions of mixed outrage and determination.

"Caro volcaaaaaa!" Sol screamed. " _For Master Volaaaaan!_ "

The Volcarona used Fiery Dance, and that was when things got messy.

-.-.-.-.-.

"Ash!" cried Sina, fighting to be heard over the violent winds that prevailed at such a height above the ground. "Look out! She's coming!"

Somehow, the Kantonian boy that climbed the built-in railing on the side of Prism Tower heard her warning even as it was snatched away from her mouth. He twisted his head to see Garchomp coming around the side of the tower, a Hyper Beam charging in her gaping jaws.

"Pikachu, do your thing, buddy!" he shouted.

The electric mouse jumped high into the air, cheeks sparking. "Piiiiiiika… CHUUUUUU!"

The Thunderbolt crackled jaggedly on a straight path towards the Hyper Beam, canceling it out with an ear-rending explosion that nearly drowned out the wind. Garchomp roared with frustration, sparks jumping visibly over the collar fastened around its neck – allowing Ash to see it clearly for the first time – before flying away, disappearing back behind the tower. Another roar from above signified that the Mach Pokemon had flown back up to the top.

Craning his neck, Ash strained to catch a glimpse of his destination. However, he couldn't, not in this compromising position – almost halfway up the immense structure, not high enough to be at the crown-shaped pinnacle but still plenty high enough to shatter all of his bones if he fell.

And as far as he was aware, the handholds didn't continue up that high…

"Man, what am I going to do?" he asked himself. "It's not like I have any of my Flying-type Pokemon on me…"

"Piiiiika…" Pikachu replied, ears drooping slightly.

"Froak?" questioned Froakie. It tilted its head, not knowing why the human it clung to seemed to be hesitating.

Then, without warning, Ash felt the frog stiffen and tighten its grip on him, and he automatically knew something must be wrong. As if to confirm this, he felt Froakie tap him frantically and then point somewhere. Suspicious and somewhat bewildered, he turned his body as best he could while maintaining his position on the railing, expecting some kind of trouble… but what he saw astounded him.

There was a masked man with a red cape clinging to the sleek, handhold-less side of Prism Tower with only one hand, staring right at them. At his side was a strange Pokemon that Ash supposed looked kind of like a Blaziken, only something was definitely off about it. Flames jetted off of its wrists in wispy ribbons instead of uncontrolled bursts, while its two buff-colored crests jutted straight up on either side of its head rather than down its back.

"What's going on?" Sina called up from below him, having not seen the man and wondering why Ash had stopped.

"Look, there's some guy attached to the tower somehow!" Ash yelled back down. Ignoring the wind that threatened to tear his hat and jacket off, he continued, "There's a Pokemon with him, too! He looks like… I don't know, some kind of superhero!"

Instantly, Sina's head snapped to the side to look for him, and she squealed in a tone that almost rose to the ultrasonic range. "It's Blaziken Mask! He's come to save Garchomp!"

The man did a series of odd sideways jumps across the surface of the tower and ended up directly beside Ash and Sina. Through his obscuring mask, the hero stared critically at Ash and demanded gruffly, "What are you civilians doing? Not only is climbing up here dangerous on its own, but haven't you noticed the Garchomp rampaging around here?"

"That's because we're going to rescue Garchomp, get it?" Ash shot back, not taking kindly to being yelled at by a stranger in a mask. "Some really bad guys put a collar on it, and that's what's making it go crazy!"

"Please, Blaziken Mask, it's my Pokemon and it's my duty to save it!" Sina added pleadingly.

Blaziken Mask glanced down at her, studying her with a critical eye. At last, he asked, "You're one of Professor Sycamore's assistant's, aren't you?"

She didn't nod or speak, but Blaziken Mask seemed to already know the answer to that question, judging by the recognition subtly expressed behind that mask. "Right," he said. "I'll have my Pokemon take you both up to where Garchomp is. Do what you need to do, but I'll be keeping an eye out in case something goes wrong."

With a steely glare, Ash nodded once. "Got it."

"Thank you for your help, Blaziken Mask!" Sina gushed with much enthusiasm, despite the circumstances.

"See them to the top of the tower, Mega Blaziken!" the superhero ordered his Pokemon.

"Blaze Blaziken!" it responded, jumping forwards and simultaneously snatching both Ash and Sina up in its wiry arms. Placing a single foot on one of the handholds to brace itself, Mega Blaziken then smoothly transitioned into a lightning-fast vertical jump that scared its passengers into screaming for their lives, their sounds of shock audible even over the turbulence that tried and failed to impede their upward flight.

Everything stopped when Mega Blaziken came in for a safe landing, allowing Ash and Sina to drop to their hands and knees. Taking deep breaths in an attempt to slow their racing hearts, they carefully stood up on the solid steel floor provided to them by Prism Tower's pinnacle.

Night had fallen sometime while they were climbing. While the sky was now as black as pitch, the lights of Lumiose City were everywhere, except for one dark area to the north. They sparkled like the stars themselves had come down to Earth to illuminate it with their brightness. Ash noticed bursts of unusually-colored light coming from far in the distance on one particular street that led further south into the city, and realized with a slight shock that those lights may well be Dexio and the rest, fighting desperately against Team Flare.

Not that he was sightseeing for long, because only a couple of seconds after Mega Blaziken had let him and Sina go, a searing Hyper Beam scoured the air right over their heads.

"GAAAAAARRR!" bellowed Garchomp, dark as dark could be against the backdrop of light and shadow, of steel and sky. Her eyes gleamed deepest red, twin points that lit up within the darkness atop the tower.

Steeling himself, Ash flung an arm out to the side and shouted, "Pikachu, keep it on its toes with Thunderbolt!"

While this may have seemed like a tactical blunder on his part – and indeed, two or three years in the past, it may well have been – but Ash knew what he was doing despite his apparently nonsensical strategy. He certainly had not been the cleverest Trainer out there when he first started out on his journey, but sometime during his travels in Unova, he'd met someone who'd helped him change all that. After the Unova League, when he went off to Hoenn to compete in another region-wide tournament, he'd put the things he'd learned from that someone to good use and used them to get even stronger and smarter from there.

No, Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town was certainly not the same boy who'd once thought that using Quick Attack on a Ghost-type would be a good idea. (That embarrassing memory still haunted him, no pun intended, to this very day.)

The Thunderbolt struck inches away from Garchomp, causing the dragon to reflexively jump away – but not too far, for the walkway was narrow, and it was a very long way back down to the ground. After two more blasts of lightning, aimed specifically to startle her, were fired at her feet, she jumped aside and retaliated with her umpteenth Hyper Beam. Pikachu hastened to dodge, and almost slipped off the side of the tower before regaining his footing and returning to his Trainer.

"Froakie, use your frubbles to keep Garchomp in place!" Ash commanded, responding to a sudden stroke of brilliance.

Leaping into the air, Froakie reached back and hurled a barrage of the sticky substance, successfully gumming Garchomp's feet and wings to the floor. The landshark Pokemon struggled fruitlessly to escape the frubbles, roaring and screaming up a storm, but ultimately to no avail.

"Let's end this, Pikachu! Iron Tail on the collar!" he then yelled, throwing his arm out to the side.

"PIKA!" cried Pikachu, tail flashing a blinding shade of silver even as he swung it into Garchomp's neck.

There was the bright gleam of steel and a burst of red sparks, and the deed was done. Garchomp sank helplessly to the ground, all of the strength draining out of her at once as her rage diminished and fatigue took its toll. Sweat appeared thickly on the dragon's brow, and she panted heavily, but she was barely able to move outside of that.

"I'm coming, Garchomp!" called Sina, a look of pure worry on her face as she dashed forward without hesitation.

But about halfway there, the side of the platform, left weakened and brittle from the brief battle, crumbled under Sina's foot and fell away.

A terrible shriek echoed across Lumiose City just then, as Sina lost her balance and fell. Hundreds of feet of empty space seemed to make way for her, offering no resistance to stop her inevitable demise.

Ash shouted with alarm, stretching out a hand as if to try and catch her, but she was already far out of reach for him.

Not, however, for Mega Blaziken.

"BLAZE!" the Mega Evolved Pokemon bellowed. In only a millisecond, it was gone, having kicked off the side of Prism Tower and igniting a swirling aura of flame as it swooped down to intercept Sina's fall.

His heart gradually slowing down, Ash watched as the fiery comet slowly descended, carrying Sina safely with it. Half-numb, he walked over to Garchomp and knelt beside her, resting a hand on her snout.

It was quiet all of a sudden.

"It's okay," he whispered to Garchomp. "It's all over now."

-.-.-.-.-.

 **I've been playing a lot of Pokemon XD lately, which was what inspired me to include Cipher in the plot of this fanfic. They're such great villains, with diverse teams of Pokemon, awesome music, and quirky-yet-competent admins. Yep, they'll be playing a huge role as members of Team Flare.**

 **That's the end of the Garchomp incident, although it was a close call. In the next chapter, everything starts calming down again.**

 **Lovrina: "You should** ** _so_** **give us reviews."**

 **Next chapter** **: Lysandre**

 **Chapter Question #15: Instead of a full-fledged Sun & Moon fanfic, which would take a lot of time to plan and subsequently write, I've been thinking of writing a collection of oneshots based on the two Sun & Moon AUs I've published – "Beginning of" and "End of a Legend". What do you readers think?**

 **-.-.-.-.-.**

 **Volan's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Edgar (Murkrow, male)  
** **Ability: Super Luck**

 **Piper (Fletchinder, female)  
** **Ability: Flame Body**

 **Majesty (Combee, female)  
** **Ability: Honey Gather**

 **Thrin's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Akuma (Vivillon, male)  
** **Ability: Compound Eyes**


	21. Lysandre

**_Chapter 20 – Lysandre_**

 **Last time on "Flight of a Legend"…**

 **Volan and Thrin fought hard against the Team Flare scientist Celosia, and a new enemy said to have once worked for another criminal organization, the Flare admin Lovrina and her unique and deadly Shadow Pokemon. Once she had enough of his resistance, Lovrina had her Pokemon attack** ** _him_** **, then rendered all of his Pokemon unable to fight back while she joined Celosia against Thrin. Only with Sera's appearance and interference was Thrin able to get out with her life – and meanwhile, Ash and Sina worked to save Garchomp with help from Blaziken Mask, the superhero.**

-.-.-.-.-.

The next morning, Professor Sycamore told Thrin and the others at breakfast that all of the Team Flare members that had attacked the lab had gotten away soon after they'd been chased off.

It was disappointing, sobering news. They'd battled their butts off against Team Flare last evening, Thrin especially, and Volan's Pokemon had been temporarily rendered out of commission and risked being stolen by Celosia and Lovrina. To say nothing about what Garchomp and Volan himself had gone through – Sina's Pokemon, by Professor Sycamore's estimate, had nearly been turned into a Shadow Pokemon that would serve Team Flare, and the Gurei boy was still sleeping soundly in another room in order to help recover from his injuries.

But at least breakfast was good. Emily Gurei – who had not gone home that night, preferring to stay at the lab to make sure her children and their Pokemon were alright after the attack – had gotten up extra early to have the meal all ready to go by the time everyone else woke up. She did not regret her decision, not with all the smiling faces cleaning their plates and begging her for seconds and thirds.

"Thrin, dear," she called out when everyone was putting their dishes away, "can you take a plate up to Volan's room? He should be hungry when he wakes up."

"Sure, Mom," the brownish-blond-haired girl replied, gladly taking the plate from her mother's hands.

Suddenly, Bernice was at her side, looking at her intently and trilling, "Unfeeeezant!"

"You want to come with me?" Thrin correctly interpreted, earning an affirmative nod from her brother's Starter.

Apparently overhearing this, a few of Volan's other Pokemon gathered around her and Bernice, looking at her pleadingly. Thrin stared at Edgar, Piper, Majesty, and Hydreigon in turn, immediately knowing that they wanted to come as well to check on their Trainer. When she cast her gaze out at Grunge and the rest of Volan's Pokemon, it was obvious that they wanted to see him as well, but were content to wait for him to be well enough to meet them on his own. They all seemed to understand that crowding around Volan's bed all at once wouldn't be the best idea, despite their own individual desires.

 _It's amazing how well I can read them,_ Thrin suddenly realized. _Perhaps Volan's ability to speak to his Pokemon is starting to rub off on me._

She chuckled at the amusing thought. Stretching out her free arm, she allowed Piper and Edgar to perch there while the other three walked or hovered behind her. They left the kitchen and ascended several flights of stairs, then walked down a long, quiet hallway to reach the bedroom that Volan was staying in. It was a sparsely-furnished room, with only a bed sitting in the middle of the room and a dresser and desk standing on the sides. The only light in the room was provided by the desk's lamp, at least until Thrin flicked the light switch to turn the ceiling lights on.

In response to the lights turning on, Volan's eyes tightened, and then fluttered open. He squinted against the light and groaned lowly as he shuffled backwards, using the headboard to shift into a sitting position. He was wearing his pajamas – checkered pants and a plain white T-shirt – and a thick white cast around his right arm, which Professor Sycamore's assistants had diagnosed as broken.

In fact, he was looking at the cast now, his brow furrowed with confusion as he tried to work out how the heck he managed to break his arm overnight.

"Team Flare," Thrin answered the unspoken question for him. "That one with the pink hair had her Pokemon attack you. I'm just glad you're okay after that…"

The confusion cleared from his eyes. "Oh, that explains it, then," he nodded. "Arceus, this cast feels weird, though. I can't move my fingers. And it itches a bit."

However casual he sounded, in reality he was far more worried about this recent development than he let on. _My arm's broken,_ he thought. It made him feel a little numb. _I've only been journeying for almost a week, and already I sustain a serious injury. Am I just unlucky? With Team Flare still out there, this might only be the first of many…_

That criminal organization had really shown how dangerous it truly was last night. Those ridiculous grunts had been right – there were far more threatening members of Team Flare than them. It made Volan feel apprehensive and unsure of himself. Team Plasma had been no problem, back in Unova, but this… this was a different story.

" _Volan, are you okay?_ " asked Bernice, fluttering up onto the bed to peer at him more closely.

He shook himself out of his thoughts and gave her a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine, Bernice. It's not like I've had worse injuries before… if it weren't for Reshiram back then, I wouldn't even be here, remember?"

The rest of the Pokemon gathered around the bed, leaving Thrin standing in the doorway. " _Still, we's been worried a heck-ton fer youse, Boss,_ " Edgar offered.

"Chindah fletch Fletchindah," chirped Piper, rather flippantly. " _I always knew you'd be alright. I wasn't too concerned._ "

Majesty merely made a soothing buzzing noise, while Hydreigon said nothing but gave the Gurei boy a very relieved look.

Volan felt a slight pressure near his leg as Thrin placed the plate of food she held in her hands onto the blankets, obviously meant for him. She then stepped further towards where he lay and leaned down to give him a heartfelt hug, which he awkwardly returned with his only available arm. He could feel her relaxing against him, letting him know exactly how worried she'd been about him and how relieved she was only just becoming now.

"I'm going to go tell everyone downstairs that you're awake, alright?" she said, pulling away after a second or two of contact. "You eat. Mom made it for you."

She stepped back and nodded to him, then turned and swept out of the room with a swish of her ponytail. Shutting the door behind her, she left Volan to be alone with his Pokemon.

When the *click* of the closing door echoed slightly throughout the empty hallway, Thrin let out the breath she hadn't known she was holding. Knowing that her brother was going to be okay after the events of last night… it filled her with a joy she couldn't describe, banishing all traces of the previous apprehension that set her nerves a-tingling.

She exited the hallway and turned the corner, following the same pathway from the kitchen she'd taken to visit Volan. Startlingly, she bumped into someone coming the other way, which made her stumble.

"Oops, sorry!" she immediately apologized without even getting a good look at who she'd run into.

"That's quite alright, Miss Thrin," a deep voice she did not recognize responded.

Brushing herself off, Thrin curiously turned around to regard the stranger as he continued on his way. All she could see of him was that he was very tall and had bright red hair. Something, a vague suspicion perhaps, made her stop and consider him for a moment. She peered at his retreating figure for a good few seconds more, then she shrugged and resumed her walk back down to the kitchen. She'd ask Professor Sycamore about him later.

-.-.-.-.-.

" _Youse is good now, yeah?_ " Edgar asked of Volan, once Thrin had left the room.

Pulling the plate onto his lap and picking up the fork, Volan shifted into a more comfortable sitting position and smiled at the Murkrow, as well as the other Pokemon, to assuage their fears. "Trust me, I'm alright. A broken arm isn't going to slow me down. We'll be out of here soon and then we can continue with our goal of winning the Kalos League."

" _But Team Flare is still out there!_ " Bernice snapped with surprising severity. " _Volan, without us to protect you, you're defenseless! Those three,_ " she gestured dismissively to the Pokemon that made up his Kalos team so far, " _may as well not even be there if you get attacked again!_ "

"Combeebee, bee Combee," Majesty spat acidly. " _We will not hesitate to protect Our Highness, so do not belittle our dedication!_ "

Struck half-dumb by Bernice's harsh words, Volan hastily made a placating motion with his hand to calm Majesty down. His Starter had a really good point. She could've been more polite with it, but it was a point nonetheless.

"She's not trying to insult you," Volan said to the Combee. "Edgar, Piper, Majesty… you couldn't have done anything against the Flare people we fought last night, and you certainly couldn't do anything if they attacked us again on our journey. Until I can train you up to a higher level… well, we're vulnerable."

The three Kalosian Pokemon looked amongst each other in bewilderment, allowing that to sink in.

Finally, it was Edgar who first nodded his agreement. " _Yeah, lady's got a point. Ain't no way I'm goin' back up against dat ting, see? Ting beat me like a wet mop._ "

"Fleeeeeh-chindah~," Piper added with a soft whistling note.

Bernice flapped up onto the bed so she could settle down at Volan's side. She warbled, " _Volan, the way I see it, you don't have a choice. You need to have at least one of us on hand to fight Team Flare off. Otherwise you'll get something else broken, or Arceus forbid…_ "

She trailed off when Volan placed a gentle hand on her back, stroking her feathers in a way that silently assured her, _It's alright, that's not going to happen._ When she met his eyes, Volan smiled calmly at her, letting her know that it was alright. That _he_ was alright.

But the Unfezant wasn't the only one that needed to be comforted, though.

" _Y-Y-You're our Trainer, a-and it happened so fast, we c-couldn't do anything to stop it in time,_ " Hydreigon trembled. He bowed his head – well, all of them – shamefully. " _I-I failed you. If I'd b-been faster, you wouldn't have gotten hurt…_ "

Sighing, Volan took his hand away from Bernice and petted Hydreigon's muzzle soothingly. "You know I'd never blame you for that," he said, weariness making it into his voice, as he had certainly had this talk with the pessimistic dragon before. "You're my Pokemon. You're part of my team. And that attack came too quickly for any of you to stop it. It's not your fault."

The so-called 'Brutal' Pokemon flinched, seemingly taking Volan's words the wrong way. " _S-Sorry… I'm always being negative and dragging the rest of you down. I-I know I should be more positive, but…_ "

Volan shushed him quietly. "Then why don't you start right now by letting me give you a proper name?"

It came as no surprise that Volan had tried to name Hydreigon soon after they'd finished moving to Vaniville Town. But he didn't let him, believing that he didn't deserve it and that he should first work to earn the trust of his new Trainer and new Pokemon companions. He'd done unspeakable things under Ghetsis' control, and two years after the Battle of Vertress, everyone had long since forgiven him – except himself.

"Come on, what do you say?" Volan encouraged, smiling again. "The only one stopping you from being part of our family is yourself, Hydreigon. So let me give you a name. It'll help, I promise."

Hesitantly, Hydreigon nodded. He wanted this, he really did – and he had for a long time, but ultimately, he was his own worst enemy. It wasn't an issue about being accepted by his master, or the other Pokemon, anymore. It was an issue about accepting himself.

Volan's smile spread at the simple, yet enormous in terms of meaning, gesture. It radiated relief and pride in the Dark-and-Dragon-type for overcoming his self-confidence problem to take that first step away from the dreadful past that held him back and wouldn't let go.

"Good," he said. "Then from now on, I'll call you Goryn."

He'd been working on a good nickname for Hydreigon for a long time now, so that he would be ready for the day Hydreigon finally started to let go of his past and made an effort to grow closer to the rest of the team. Goryn was what he'd come up with, short for Gorynych, a mythological draconic figure with three heads. He thought it'd be good, and now, he was happy to see Hydreigon – no, Goryn now, enthusiastically nodding along with tears leaking profusely from his eyes.

" _I-I'll keep working to make you proud, Volan,_ " Goryn promised. " _I'll use my new name as a new beginning to build myself from the ground up._ "

Even Bernice, normally not one to open up to anyone that wasn't Volan (or sometimes Thrin), let out an encouraging trill to welcome her new, reborn teammate. And Edgar, Piper, and Majesty joined in, despite none of them knowing the three-headed Pokemon all that well. It was a heartwarming sight for Volan to see.

All of a sudden, there was a knock at the door, which cut through the hopeful atmosphere and replaced it with an overbearing feeling of curiosity. Not good curiosity, though. Somehow, Volan didn't think that it was Thrin or anyone else he knew on the other side of that door.

"Yes?" he called, hesitantly.

The doorknob twisted open, and indeed, the person that walked inside was not someone he recognized. The man was tall, wearing an expensive black suit with matching pants and shoes, and had an impressive mane of fiery red hair. The expression on the man's face was stoic, combining with the rather professional manner in which he held himself to create the impression of an imposing figure. For a single, tense moment, the air felt almost too thick with tension to breathe.

Then the man smiled warmly, and his overbearing presence and business-like demeanor seemed to fade to almost nothing, like an invisible shield he only dropped when privately meeting someone he knew well. The transformation was flawless and mystifying, as if there was a completely different person standing in the shoes of the one that had been there only an instant before.

"Ah, Mister Volan," the man greeted, politely raising a hand to his chest. "Augustine told me I'd find you here. It's an honor, it truly is."

Bewildered, caught off guard, wary… none of those words or phrases could really describe the feeling that came over Volan just then. He was not expecting this… _intimidating_ stranger to be so familiar with him.

The man strode forward to pull up a chair and sit down comfortably beside Volan's bed. The Pokemon immediately clustered more tightly around him, as clueless as Volan was about this person's intentions and far less willing to take chances with them.

The Gurei boy glanced left and right at his Pokemon, noting their suspicion. Clearing his throat, he began, "Excuse me… not to be rude, but who are you, exactly?"

Shock could be seen on the man's bearded face, although it flickered away surprisingly fleetingly, to be replaced with that same kind smile. " _Mon dieu_ , I had forgotten. You and your family are from Unova, yes? No wonder you don't know who I am."

In a sitting position, the man could not bow in greeting, so he simply inclined his head and introduced himself, "Mister Volan, I am Lysandre – owner of Lysandre Labs and good friend of Augustine Sycamore's."

"… Lysandre Labs," Volan repeated, after a slight pause. "That name I _have_ heard before…"

"Permit me to explain," Lysandre volunteered, netting his fingers together conversationally. "Lysandre Labs is a company I formed with the intention of making the world a better place – yes, for people and Pokemon alike. We specialize in holographic technology, which we spent years researching before finally successfully utilizing it. Every holographic device in Kalos you see has been made by Lysandre Labs, purely for the good of the world and those that live in it. It is rich and fulfilling work, because you see, my dream is to create a brand-new world in which no-one suffers or is unhappy. I believe that with every new piece of technology we develop, we bring the world closer to a thing of utmost beauty."

Admittedly, Volan had seen several of these holographic devices in Kalos already, and he had been growing curious about them. News bulletin boards all over the Lumiose streets, the video phones at home, the Pokedexes, even the healing machines and computer screens used in Pokemon Centers… so they were all the result of this man's ambitions.

 _Amazing,_ he couldn't help but think.

However, although he put on a calm face as he processed this, Volan was in inner turmoil. There was _something_ about Lysandre that threw him off. Part of him, the part that still persisted in him even after all these years, wanted him to revert back to his old ways – put up an icy, cold-hearted façade and not take any chances with trusting this stranger. It was something he still felt every time he met someone new, but it _really_ seemed to come to the surface this time. What was it about Lysandre he didn't want to trust?

But Volan knew he was better than this. In his travels across Unova, he'd met many people that had proved time and time again that they could be trusted. Some of them he even trusted with his very life. He'd learned that some people were worth trusting, no matter how much he didn't want to at first.

The impression Lysandre was clearly trying to make was of a kind-hearted and charismatic person. Ghetsis had crafted the same kind of public image to hide his true intentions, and yet Volan had immediately known he wasn't to be trusted. But it had been because of Reshiram, who was no longer a part of him, that he was able to discern the truth…

Reshiram wasn't with him now. It was up to his own gut to help him make the choice being presented to him.

Did he trust Lysandre or not?

… He should give Lysandre the benefit of the doubt.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he responded at last.

"No, no, the pleasure's all mine," Lysandre laughed, a soft and delighted sound. "Mister Volan, it is to my understanding that you are the one that played the biggest role in the Battle of Vertress. You saved Unova, and quite possibly the world. As someone whose greatest dream is to build a more beautiful world, you are an inspiration. You have my gratitude for what you've done in the past. That's something I've wanted to tell you personally for a long time."

Well, Volan couldn't help but feel flattered by Lysandre's words. He'd been thanked for his pivotal role in securing the safety of Unova by many people – Trainers, Gym Leaders, and even Alder, the Champion of Unova. But it felt extra gratifying to be given such sincere thanks by someone like this imposing and influential man, someone from a completely different region.

"Thank you," the Gurei boy said. "I admit, I'm very glad most people don't make such a big deal about what I've done – my life would be far more difficult if they did – but, ah, it's always nice to hear that I've made an impression. Especially from people like you. People more experienced and more important than me, I mean."

Nodding, Lysandre agreed, "I imagine it is. But think nothing of it, Mister Volan. You've done more for the sake of improving this flawed world than most others will ever do in their lifetimes. You _are_ important. Remember that."

His eyes flicked to the cast Volan wore on his broken arm, and his expression darkened the slightest bit. "Really, it is appalling to see such foul people as Team Flare running amok in Kalos. After all I've done to improve things, some still have the gall to act so selfishly."

Not knowing what to say to that, Volan shrugged instead and kept his mouth closed.

"My apologies," Lysandre chuckled, noticing his discomfort. "I really do not like such selfishness. It throws ugly stains on what would otherwise be a beautiful world. If people would simply act less for themselves and more for others, everything would be much better."

Seeing no reason to disagree with that, Volan merely nodded.

With a grunt, Lysandre stood up from his seat and smiled again at him, saying, "Anyway, I simply came up here to wish you well after your fight with Team Flare." When Volan blinked, he continued, "Yes, Augustine told me about what happened when I came through the door this morning. Or at least, what's left of it."

He glanced back down at Volan's arm and added, "I'd recommend having that looked at the next time you find yourself at a Pokemon Center. Their healing technology is incredible for Pokemon, but there's no reason not to use it for people when necessary."

Now there was a point. Volan couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it before, but he remembered from the Unova League and Battle of Vertress that Pokemon Centers were more than capable of treating humans, too, if such a situation ever came up.

"Thank you, sir," he replied to Lysandre's advice.

Another amused chuckle came from the red-haired man. "Just 'Lysandre' is fine. While I understand your intentions, 'sir' simply makes me feel old."

Having not expected this, Volan managed a weak laugh of his own. "If you insist, then," he conceded. "Are you leaving?"

"Yes," Lysandre confirmed politely. "I merely stopped by the lab to check on my friend Augustine – and you, of course, once I'd learned you were here. It's goodbye for now, but who knows, fate may not be done with us just yet. Perhaps we will meet again."

 _Perhaps…_ Volan repeated to himself, although he felt no joy in the thought of such a reunion. He still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, despite his decision to trust in Lysandre.

But without Reshiram there to guide him anymore, Volan had nothing but his heart. And it was telling him to give the man a chance. He was no longer the person he once was.

"Give my regards to Miss Thrin," Lysandre said, starting towards the door. "She seems like a Trainer with potential still untapped within her. And of course, I wish you the best of luck in the Kalos League this year."

He disappeared behind the door with those final words, shutting it quietly behind him with a *click*.

" _I… don't know what to think of him,_ " Bernice noted, the first of the Pokemon to speak up. " _He seemed friendly enough, but something feels… off._ "

" _Ah, youse wasn't da only one,_ " said Edgar, sounding relieved. " _I thought it was just me, y'know?_ "

Regarding his Pokemon with significant consideration, Volan slowly and cautiously nodded along. "I've decided to trust him… for now," he told them. "I think he genuinely cares. About us, and about what he's doing for Kalos."

A frown curled the corners of his mouth downwards, and he added with some trepidation, "But just in case… we should keep an eye on him."

-.-.-.-.-.

After finishing his breakfast, Volan and his Pokemon headed back down to the main lobby and found everyone hanging out there. Not before the Gurei boy attempted to use the nearest bathroom, though, which left him with a realization that continued to nag at him even as he approached his friends.

In the lobby, it was obvious that the doorway would need patching up. Garchomp had flown a hole straight through the upper part of the wall, completely obliterating the window and the surrounding concrete, while the door hung halfway off of its hinges from a badly-battered doorframe. No-one present was paying attention to this, though, content with socializing among themselves while they hoisted their backpacks onto their shoulders and prepared to head back out into the great Kalos yonder. However, Volan couldn't help but notice that, out of all of them, Serena was missing.

"Hey, look who's up," greeted Calem, waving. "Are you alright, Volan? Arm doing okay after it got… um…"

"Beat up?" Volan tried, with some degree of sarcasm. "Crushed? How about shattered – or would you prefer mangled?"

The dark-haired boy laughed. "Okay, I guess I was wrong in assuming you'd be sensitive about which adjective I used for your 'mangled' arm." He winked when he uttered the second-last word, then went on, "But seriously, no trouble? You seem bothered by something."

In fact, Volan was, when he thought back to the issue in the bathroom he'd just been mulling over. With some degree of thought, he replied, "Yes, how am I supposed to take a shower with this blasted thing on?"

"That's _your_ problem," Thrin grinned at her brother before Calem could give a serious answer. "I'd consider stocking up on deodorant for the next couple of weeks – or for however long it takes today's technology to knit your bones back together."

Volan took a playful swing at her with his cast-swaddled arm. She ducked, her ponytail momentarily flying upwards as she did so, causing the armored appendage to smack into Tierno's shoulder instead.

"Whoops!" the larger boy laughed out in a carefree manner. "You trying to give _me_ a broken arm, V-Meister?"

The out-of-nowhere nickname came so unexpectedly that Volan almost did a double take. As it was, though, he stopped for maybe half a second before shaking off the surprise and replying, "Sorry about that, Tierno. Are you and Calem and Shauna setting off on your journey again?"

It wasn't Tierno that answered him, but Shauna. "Yep!" she beamed. "We zigzagreed that we'd head toward Camphrier Town. The castle there is very old, so we figure that there might be some cluebat about Mega Evolution we can find for the professor!"

"Plus, it's along the quickest path to Cyllage City, which is where Tierno and I hope to earn our next badge," Calem added.

He always spoke in such a calm, measured tone that sometimes Volan didn't think there was much more to him than that. Calem really never showed that much emotion other than his usual polite, collected demeanor. On a bad day, that endlessly patient smile could rub Volan the wrong way. He found it difficult to get close to him as a result – although he still considered him a friend. Oftentimes, he found himself wondering whether or not Calem was hiding something beneath the endless calm…

The sight of Shauna gleefully hugging Thrin goodbye brought him out of his thoughts. The tanned girl chirped, "We'd better be going if we don't want to be doublate! Seel you later!"

The departing group of three exchanged final farewells with the others, making promises to meet up with each other again next time they got the chance. Calem, Tierno, and Shauna walked out the door and disappeared onto the street, leaving the Gurei siblings and Trevor alone.

A small pause ensued in which the three that remained simply stared after their friends.

"So, are you still coming with us, Trevor?" Thrin asked, breaking the silence.

He flinched slightly, as if he hadn't been expecting her to speak to him. "O-Oh, yes. That is, if you w-wouldn't mind."

"Before we do, though, we should go find Professor Sycamore and say goodbye," noted Volan. Then he glanced around at his Pokemon that still surrounded him and added as an afterthought, "And I'd like to do the same to the rest of my Pokemon, too, come to think of it…"

When they turned around with the intention of heading to the greenhouse, though, it was to see Professor Sycamore walking through the door that led there, followed by Emily Gurei and the shiny Froakie.

Emily, in particular, was delighted to see Volan up and about, although Sycamore was quite pleased as well. Mother and son exchanged a brief hug (as much as they were able to with Volan only being able to move his arm to a limited degree), then the professor offered him a handshake, which he accepted wholeheartedly with his undamaged hand. Meanwhile, Thrin greeted Froakie by crouching down to pat her head, which the ice-blue Water-type allowed.

"That first part won't be necessary, because I'm right here," Sycamore joked at Volan's previous comment. "It's marvelous to see you up and about again. You gave us quite the scare last night, being unconscious like that. However, I do believe I owe you a thank-you for your deeds yesterday."

"If you weren't there, then Augustine would no doubt be being forced to work for those awful Team Flare people by now," Emily added, smiling at her teenaged children – although Volan did notice that the smile was tighter than usual.

Automatically, Volan thought, _She wishes we'd stayed out of it for our own safety._ He glanced down at his arm with a tiny pang of guilt. _Case in point… but surely she knows it could've turned out much worse if we hadn't been there._

"And of course, Sina has her Garchomp back," continued Professor Sycamore. "She couldn't be happier – Dexio, too."

There was a knowing smile on his face, prompting Volan – and Thrin as well, from the look of it – to wonder what exactly he was insinuating.

Professor Sycamore went on, "Volan, I understand you met my friend Lysandre when he came to visit this morning. He's an important man here in Kalos – to have the admiration of someone so great and influential is not something just anyone can boast about."

He felt Thrin's gaze on the back of his neck and knew he'd have some explaining to do later. But for now, Volan simply felt awkward, not knowing what to say to the professor's words, as was always the case whenever his past achievements were brought up and lavishly complimented.

"Keeeeee…" yawned Froakie just then, momentarily startling them out of their thoughts.

"Did you go and get Sera to come here and help us yesterday?" the Gurei girl inquired, which made Volan take pause. He hadn't known about this, most likely because he'd been unconscious at the time.

"Froakie froak," the Bubble Frog Pokemon replied with a curt nod.

In response to this, Thrin reached out to give Froakie a quick, loose embrace that respected the amphibian's personal space. Froakie looked slightly uncomfortable, but seemed to take the show of affection in stride.

"Sera was here?" questioned Volan.

"If you mean the girl with the black clothes and the shiny Skorupi, then yes," confirmed Professor Sycamore. "She distracted the Team Flare women long enough for your Pokemon to drive them away, Volan. But she didn't stay long – she returned Froakie, believing her to be under Thrin's ownership, and then left without another word. It was all very mysterious."

Volan could remember as clear as day how Thrin had fought Sera with Froakie's help, which was probably why the menacing girl was under such an impression. But honestly, he wasn't sure how long Froakie would be sticking around. The plan was to find her a competent Trainer that could protect and raise her, as Sycamore had originally intended when he gave her out to that new Trainer several years ago.

He voiced his concerns to Thrin, and she asked Froakie if she'd like to keep sticking around so that they could continue their mission to find a Trainer to look after her. After only a moment of thought, Froakie nodded her pale blue head and clambered up Thrin's body so that she could rest once more in the Gurei girl's backpack.

At the sight of Froakie comfortably hanging her head outside of the bag's confines, Sycamore laughed out loud. "Marvelous! It was a pleasure to see you again, Froakie, and here's hoping all goes well with your future Trainer."

He reached over Thrin's shoulder to rub Froakie's head, stepping close to Thrin in order to do so. While Froakie gurgled happily at the attention, Thrin looked up at the handsome middle-aged man and blushed furiously, although with a borderline giddy smile on her face.

Feeling a brushing of feathers against his neck as Edgar fluttered impatiently on his shoulder, Volan knew that his Pokemon were getting restless. It was high time he brought Bernice and Goryn back to the others, while he took his Kalos team back on the road and began their training again. Piper and Majesty especially.

"Could you hold on a moment, you two?" asked Professor Sycamore, who was noticing that the Gurei siblings seemed to be ready to leave. "There's one more thing I'd like to talk to you about, if you'll give me a minute."

Without waiting for a reply, the professor slipped back through the half-closed door and left the room. Volan and Thrin glanced at their mother, who was staring after Sycamore as he disappeared, while Trevor hung back and fiddled with his camera awkwardly.

"You two…" Emily spoke up with a hefty sigh. "I know I've stressed this before, but… please be careful on your journey. I thought it was going to be dangerous, but after the events of last night…"

"Mom," Volan interrupted, shaking his head, "we promise we're not going to go looking for trouble. We'll only engage with Team Flare if it's absolutely necessary."

"That might be more often than we hope for, considering that they're most definitely hunting us down…" muttered Thrin.

"Thank you, Thrin, for pointing out that which really did _not_ need to be pointed out," Volan shot back at her. "Yes, Kalos is dangerous enough without a criminal organization on our tails, but that doesn't mean we should totally throw safety out the window."

"You know that wasn't what I was getting at," his sister insisted. "I was just… giving ourselves a reminder that trouble is occasionally going to come to us instead of the other way around, I guess."

The sound of the door creaking open interrupted whatever Emily was going to say in reply to her children and the worrisome points they brought up. Professor Sycamore stepped through and extended his hands toward Volan and Thrin – each of them held flat red devices in their palms, identical to Trevor's Pokedex.

"Wow, thanks!" exclaimed Thrin, eagerly taking the one being handed to her.

"As with Calem and the others, they're the very latest model," Emily told her, proudly. "Lysandre actually brought them himself this morning. He and Augustine are good friends, so they're always willing to come through for each other when one of them needs a favor."

"Lysandre is a good man with powerful dreams and great vision," Sycamore nodded along, passing the second 'dex to Volan. "I'm lucky to know him so well."

Although momentarily confused by the use of the word 'vision', Volan quickly came to the epiphany that Sycamore was talking about Lysandre's motives about making the world a better place.

 _Heh, and for a moment I thought he was commenting on his eyesight,_ he snickered to himself. _That threw me for a loop, I have to say._

"The Pokedex will provide you with information on about eight hundred species of Pokemon," lectured Professor Sycamore, gesturing to the holographic encylopedias. "It gives all the basics about the Pokemon you scan, which is pretty standard, I'd think… but in your case, Volan and Thrin, there's a secondary function."

The teenagers glanced up at him and blinked in confusion.

"You're able to contact my lab through the Pokedex and automatically transport one of your Pokemon to your side," he explained. "Since the circumstances are quite worrisome for you two, and you have powerful Pokemon here at the lab, I thought ahead of time that it would be an incredibly useful function for emergencies. It's one-way, though, so you'd have to send whatever Pokemon you summoned back via the video-phones at the Pokemon Center."

Awed, Volan looked back down at the device in his hand and almost reverently stroked its shiny, brand-new surface. "I don't know what to say," he remarked. "This is incredible."

" _So you can call on me whenever you need help!_ " Bernice trilled, stretching her wings excitedly.

" _Or m-me,_ " said Goryn, sounding hopeful. " _I hope I can be useful if you ever meet Team Flare again._ "

"Chindah, Fleeeeh-chindah~," chirruped Piper. She twitched her head downwards in a respectful nod towards Professor Sycamore. " _He really thinks ahead, I'll admit that._ "

Even Majesty had a comment to make. "Combeebee, bee Combee. _I do feel a lot safer, knowing that Your Highness has such powerful soldiers to call on anytime._ "

Pocketing the Pokedex, which felt slightly cool against his thigh, Volan shook Professor Sycamore's hand again in thanks. Thrin did the same, although she turned bright red and giggled to herself when his hand touched hers. She stopped when Volan nudged her sharply, having the decency to look embarrassed with herself.

A noise from behind made the siblings turn around to see Dexio and Sina entering from another doorway with identical smiles on their faces, followed closely by a tired-looking Garchomp. Other than clear exhaustion, the Dragon-and-Ground-type did not appear any worse for wear after the stressful events of last night.

"Thanks for everything, you two!" Sina chirped. "Garchomp's feeling fine after a good night's rest and a quick checkup, and most importantly, she's safe from Team Flare!"

Dexio looked thoughtful as he continued for her, "Well, it was really Blaziken Mask and that other boy who actually took care of Garchomp. But we heard that you two took on a Team Flare admin, and… well, that's really impressive."

Exchanging a glance, Volan and Thrin grinned. It made both of them feel good to know that, after everything, Garchomp was fine and suffering no ill effects from her near-possession.

"You two are off now?" guessed Sina. "Good luck on your journey then, you guys!"

"We often travel to various places around Kalos on errands for Professor Sycamore, so perhaps we'll see each other again," remarked Dexio. "Until then, Sina and I are company enough for each other."

Then, unexpectedly, the blond-haired assistant leaned over to press a kiss to Sina's cheek, which made her giggle appreciatively.

Volan looked over to see that Thrin's eyebrows were raised significantly. He let out a chuckle at her expression, to which she replied with a chuckle of her own.

"Should we get going, then?" the Gurei girl asked. "If we want to head to Cyllage City next, we need to go through Route 5, which I think we can reach if we head to the west side of Lumiose."

"Sounds like there's lots of ground to cover, then," Volan said. "Can we check out the Gym in this city first, though? We're already in town, so…"

"Fair enough," she replied with a nod.

Their next course of action now decided upon, all that was left to do was say their final farewells. With Trevor again at their side, Volan and Thrin said goodbye to the professor, his assistants, and their mother, who all wished them luck and promised to be rooting for them on their journey to the Kalos League.

They'd been through more than they'd bargained for when they first arrived in Lumiose, but it was time to wrap up their stay and continue onwards.

-.-.-.-.-.

 **Poor Hydreigon, waiting this long to accept a nickname simply because he doesn't feel he's good enough. Goryn does refer to Gorynych, a three-headed dragon, but there's also a second meaning that you probably won't get. It'll definitely be explained later on.**

 **I was looking forward to this chapter for a while, because it's where I introduce Lysandre! He's interesting in the games for sure, and really cool in the anime, where I feel his personality and motives are really driven home. Can't wait to write more about him!**

 **Now that everything's been cleared up, we're returning to Volan's and Thrin's normal Kalos teams again. Hope you look forward to the next chapter!**

 **Lysandre: "Please review."**

 **Next chapter** **: Budding Rivalry! Thrin vs Calem!**

 **Chapter Question #16: Did you find Lysandre a good villain in X and Y?**

 **I thought he was very interesting, more of a tragic character than the standard Pokemon villain. He was more generic in the anime, though. I think he was the only character I preferred in the games than the TV show.**

 **-.-.-.-.-.**

 **Volan's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Edgar (Murkrow, male)  
** **Ability: Super Luck**

 **Piper (Fletchinder, female)  
** **Ability: Flame Body**

 **Majesty (Combee, female)  
** **Ability: Honey Gather**

 **Thrin's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Akuma (Vivillon, male)  
** **Ability: Compound Eyes**


	22. Interlude

**_Interlude (Chapter 20.5) – Just for Pun_**

 **The next chapter is taking longer than I expected, so this is simply something I wrote to amuse myself as I work on it. ;)**

-.-.-.-.-.

"Hmm? You want to do what?" Professor Sycamore questioned, confused.

The person who stood before him, with the sunniest of sunny smiles imaginable upon her face, was none other than Shauna.

"Before I head back on my journey with Calem and the others," she repeated perkily. "I want to see more of that Rotom Pokedex you're working on. It sounds Wooper-duper cool!"

Inwardly, the Pokemon evolution-researcher cringed at the terrible pun. She unpleasantly reminded him of someone he'd spoken with far too often in recent weeks…

He thoughtfully placed a hand in his pocket and took out the trapezoidal device he and his colleague from Alola had been working on for a while. Regarding the blank screen contemplatively for a moment, he considered Shauna's request and came to the conclusion that no harm could come from telling her more.

"Well, okay," he conceded, pocketing the prototype 'dex. "Come along, Shauna, there's more to see in the lab."

Looking as though Christmas had just come early, Shauna excitedly tagged along as he headed through the door and into a hallway that'd take them right to the main part of the research facility.

"You see," he explained along the way, "we've known for a while that Rotom is a Pokemon that can cause all sorts of problems with its ability to take control of electric devices. So far, we've discovered five different forms that Rotom can take when it possesses something, and there may well be more. However, me and another Pokemon professor had the idea of building something that'd make the most out of Rotom's unique abilities… and, well, that's what the Rotom Pokedex is all about."

"So instead of Rotom using its powers to cause trouble, it'll be using them to help us!" summarized Shauna. She clasped her hands together in wonder.

"Exactly!" Sycamore chuckled out, turning the handle of the door to the lab. "If Rotom wasn't such a mischievous Pokemon, it could be a wonderful and handy Pokemon to have around. And here we are!"

He graciously held the door open for Shauna as she darted inside, pupils growing wide as they attempted to drink in everything at once. The room they were in was just one of many that made up Sycamore's lab, but this one was being used exclusively for the new Pokedex. There was a table covered in blueprints, and another covered in tools and various machine parts, and yet another with a glass tube that held a living Rotom inside.

"Wow!" Shauna squealed. "So that's a Rotom? It's positively cutehoot!"

The Electric-and-Ghost-type, which wore a permanent blank smile, darted up to the wall of its glassy prison and raised its lightning bolt-shaped appendages in an enthusiastic greeting. "Rotatatatatata!" it chattered loudly.

The volume at which it spoke made Shauna jump back a bit, startled, while Rotom zipped around in circles and let out a high-pitched laugh.

"Careful with that one, he's a prankster," Professor Sycamore said with a wry smile, then waved the girl over to the table where he'd left the blueprints out. "Now here's what we're planning for the final design. It'll come equipped with a camera function, and a map, and –"

All of a sudden, a monitor built into the wall on the other end of the room lit up with a shrill ringing sound. An icon that resembled an old-fashioned telephone came onto the screen and shook with every repeated ring.

Sycamore snapped his fingers as he suddenly remembered something. "Oh, I was expecting this call," he said. "That'd be Samson calling to confirm the details for our next test with Rotom. Wait there, Shauna, this should only take a minute."

Obediently, Shauna placed both feet firmly on the floor and crossed her arms behind her back.

When he pressed a button on the side of the monitor, Sycamore stepped back and waited a second or two for the connection to form. Soon, the screen was displaying a live camera feed of the head and torso of an older man sitting in what looked like an office. The man had thick white-blonde hair and heavily tanned skin.

" _Alola_ , my good Augustine!" the man beamed, emphasizing the greeting. "So nice to see you again, as always. Everything going Swellow for you?"

Sweatdropping at the way that Samson Oak flapped his arms and mimicked the bird Pokemon's face, Sycamore answered weakly, "J-Just fine, _merci_ for asking. So, do you agree on the time and location I proposed in my latest email?"

" _Absol_ -utely!" Samson said with a hearty thumbs-up, much to the Kalosian professor's chagrin. "I'm looking forward to seeing you and Rotom in person again when we meet at Shalour –"

"'Scuse me~."

Both professors reacted differently to the new voice that interjected into their conversation – Sycamore flinched with surprise while Samson merely blinked.

"Sorry to interrupt," Shauna apologized, moving her hands in a placating gesture. "I don't want to be a ledybother, but… you do Pokemon puns, Mister?"

A loud, boisterous laugh came from Samson Oak's mouth. "Indeed, young miss! Everyone needs a bit of fun, if you Sandygast me. And making others laugh isn't half as funny as making them groan with my Pokemon humor!"

"Samson, this is Shauna," added Professor Sycamore, a noticeable hint of strain in his voice as he struggled not to do just what his colleague had described. "She's one of the Trainers traveling Kalos with a Pokemon from my lab. Quite a promising one, too."

"Aw, thanks!" the tanned girl blushed. "But Mister Samson, I've never met-agross anyone else who made Pokemon puns! I thought that I was the only one!"

" _Really?_ " Samson asked, his interest in the girl piqued.

Off on the sidelines, Professor Sycamore's head sank into his hands.

"It's nice to Mimikyu!" the Alolan professor burst out, practically jumping out of his seat so he could get closer to the camera. "Shauna, eh? I'll have to remember you as someone I'd be happy to laugh along with once in Mawile!"

"That makes me feel Happiny!" Shauna grinned.

Professor Sycamore groaned. _What have I done what have I done what have I done…_

"Give me a call and toxapexchange puns with me anytime!" Shauna continued eagerly.

"You'll have to Bewear, my jokes will leave you Weezing!" exclaimed Samson, quickly changing his face to resemble the Pokemon whose names he used for his puns.

"Can you teach me how to do that?" she requested, stars twinkling in her eyes.

"Sure, if you can teach me how to pun like you do!" he replied. "Your style is different than mine. I like it!"

"Archen certainly do that!" she confirmed, trying out his own style by grimacing in what she hoped was a decent impression.

Somehow, Professor Sycamore had assumed that Shauna would react derisively to that uncanny and disturbing habit of Samson's. But if she could stomach his puns, then he guessed she was prepared for anything the crazy old coot had in store…

"I think I hear your friends calling, Shauna," he interrupted, gesturing to the door. "Best not keep them waiting, right? Samson, Rotom and I will meet you on the scheduled day, alright?"

"Oh, stop Dragonite down with your Tyrantrum, Augustine!" guffawed Samson. "But it was nice meeting you, Shauna. Feel free to come down to Shalour City and Pidgeot me with some of your gags!"

"Wynaut?" Shauna giggled.

"Xerneastic!" he replied.

"Hoopa-de-doo!"

"Solrock and roll!"

"Groovydos!"

The door clicked shut as Professor Sycamore left the room without her.

-.-.-.-.-.

 **To tell the truth, I'd decided on making Shauna a punner waaaay before I learned that Samson Oak was one, ha ha!**

 **So this is something I was going to write anyway on account of how funny it would be, but I didn't want to simply put as part of a larger chapter where it'd be shunted to the side. And anyway, since I'm struggling with the next chapter, I figured this'd be the perfect time to feature it.**

 **As always, send me your Hitmontop-tier reviews!**

 **(My apologies, I've tried uploading this more than once, but I've had difficulties. Some of you may have been wondering about a recent update to this story prior to this one - truth is, said update didn't exist. Once again, I'm sorry.)**


	23. Budding Rivalry! Thrin vs Calem!

**_Chapter 21 – Budding Rivalry! Thrin vs Calem!_**

 **Last time on "Flight of a Legend"…**

 **The morning after Team Flare's attack was calm and normal, except for Volan having received a broken arm after being attacked by Lovrina's Shadow Pokemon. Thrin and his Pokemon met with him that morning, and Volan ended up giving Hydreigon his long-awaited nickname – Goryn. A man named Lysandre briefly talked with Volan and expressed his admiration for the White Hero's previous deeds. Finally, after getting Pokedexes from Professor Sycamore, Volan and Thrin were able to continue their journey.**

-.-.-.-.-.

 **Volan is now online.**

 **Volan:** How're things in Unova, guys?

 **Stephan:** eh could be worse

 **Bianca:** How about you?

 **Volan:** Well I made it to Lumiose City and fought some bad guys. I broke my arm for my troubles.

 **Bianca:** What?!

 **Stephan:** dude u ok man?

 **Volan:** It's not bad. A few visits to the Pokemon Center should get me fixed up. The technology here is pretty impressive.

 **Bianca:** What bad guys?!

 **Volan:** Team Flare. At first Thrin and I thought they were idiots like Team Plasma, so we didn't hesitate to get involved. Now we know they're a lot tougher and more competent. And they're trying to hunt us down.

 **Stephan:** damn

 **Stephan:** but u have ur Unova team too, rite?

 **Bianca:** Ooh, I'm sorry that things are going so rough for you :(

 **Volan:** It's fine. I can call my Unova team from the lab at any time, so Team Flare won't stand a chance next time they try something.

 **Bianca:** Yay~

 **Bianca:** Oh yes!

 **Bianca:** We heard from Caitlin this morning, she says that she's on her way to Lumiose City today and will try meeting you at Camphrier Town

 **Volan:** Thanks for telling me! You have no idea how much I'm looking forward to seeing her again.

 **Stephan:** yeah, like as much as Bianca is looking forward to seeing cheren once he finishes marking final exams

 **Bianca:** WE ARE NOT DATING STOP SAYING THAT STEVEN

 **Stephan:** never said u were but thx 4 clarifying

 **Bianca:** WHYYYYYYY

 **Volan:** This is hilarious. How is Cheren, by the way?

 **Stephan:** we don't talk 2 him much, he's always busy with gym leader stuff and teaching at the school

 **Volan:** And has Bianca actually asked him out yet?

 **Bianca:** NO

 **Stephan:** yes lol

 **Bianca has left the chat.**

 **Volan:** *sighs* I'd better get going now, badges to earn and all that.

 **Volan:** Give Bianca and Cheren my regards, alright?

 **Stephan:** sure thing l8r man

Volan got off the computer and let out a sound that was halfway between a chuckle and an exasperated sigh. His friends could be incredibly entertaining sometimes. Although, he hadn't known that Bianca was actually dating Cheren – maybe she wanted to, and Stephan was just teasing her about it. That would definitely fit his sense of humor.

He didn't have to worry about it all that much, though. _She'll tell once she's comfortable with telling,_ he decided.

When he walked back over to the other side of the Pokemon Center lobby, he found Thrin gently placing Froakie into her backpack, having just received her and Akuma from Nurse Joy. She stood up and put the backpack back on when she saw her brother coming.

"All done?" she asked. "High time we get moving to the Gym, huh?"

"Wait a moment, shouldn't we wait for Trevor?" Volan replied, pointing his finger across the lobby.

Sure enough, there was the familiar orange dome of their friend in the midst of a small group of Trainers and their Pokemon. Trevor was blushing and rubbing the back of his head while the Trainers passed his camera around and chattered amongst themselves excitedly. Although Volan couldn't hear a word that was being said, he was sure that they were complimenting Trevor lavishly on the photos he'd taken of their Pokemon.

"Wow, he's popular," remarked Thrin. "I guess becoming a shutterbug is proving to be a good way to get him out of his shell, huh?"

A thought struck Volan all of a sudden, and he started to chuckle. "You think that's why Viola uses Bug-types?"

It took Thrin a solid five seconds to get the joke. "Oh my Arceus, it _is_ ," she groaned, slapping a palm to her face. "That's like a hundred times worse than any of Shauna's puns, for Zekrom's sake…"

"Careful," he said snidely, nudging her in the ribs. "Should you be taking the name of your own Legendary dragon in vain?"

"I'm the Black Hero, I can do what I want," she grinned back, pulling his hat over his eyes.

Trevor took his camera back and thanked the Trainers, then headed back over to where the Gureis awaited him. His cheeks had a pink tint and his smile was wider than the usual shy half-grin he sported, so he must have been exceptionally pleased.

"I'm going to keep taking pictures of Pokemon all throughout my journey," he announced, showing a pleasantly unusual amount of pride. "That's what I want to do with Charmander at my side. You guys, Calem, and Tierno can aim high for the Kalos League, but my goal is to photograph every single Pokemon listed in the Pokedex!"

"That's awesome!" Thrin enthused, beaming. She seemed overjoyed that their normally withdrawn, introverted friend had found something to be so passionate about.

"Feel free to take pictures of all of our Pokemon, too, next time we visit Professor Sycamore," Volan offered.

At this, Edgar dug his beak out of his back feathers and straightened up. " _I'll have youse twos know dat I can be quite photogenic._ "

To Trevor, Volan translated the Murkrow's comment as, "He agrees."

By now, the orange-haired boy's eyes were positively shining with delight. "Would you really let me? That'd be fantastic! A lot of your Pokemon can't even be found anywhere in Kalos, which would make them super-rare!"

Laughing at his enthusiasm, Thrin clapped a hand to his shoulder and told him, "Slow down. We still have to check out the Lumiose Gym before we leave for Camphrier."

Immediately, Trevor shrank back a little and blushed some more. "R-Right," he replied. "Got a b-bit carried away there, s-sorry."

"That reminds me," Volan started, turning to face his sister more directly. "Caitlin's flight is today. She wants to meet us at Camphrier Town."

"Cool!" the Gurei girl smirked in reply. "It's been a while since I last saw her."

"A-And I've never met an Elite Four member before," Trevor added, more hesitantly. "Y-You think she'd give me advice for training Charmander?"

Suddenly, out of the blue, he flinched as if he'd been scalded. Without giving anyone any time to ask what had just happened, there was a popping sound and a rush of azure light that streamed out from Trevor's belt. His Flabébé materialized next to his face, which she happily nuzzled.

Although Trevor had gone chalk-white with surprise, Volan let out a short laugh. "I think Flabébé is saying that she's with you as well," he said.

"Fla bey la," the dimunitive Fairy-type squeaked contentedly, as if to confirm his words. This didn't seem to make Trevor any better, who tugged at his collar and sidled away.

"C-Come on," he stammered, sending Flabébé back into her Poke Ball, "I th-thought we had a Gym to get to?"

Indeed, the Gurei siblings promptly agreed. The Gym, they'd heard, was near the top of Prism Tower, where the leader there used Electric-types. Neither of them could wait to get started, as it was another opportunity to see how strong they and their new Pokemon had become – not to mention that they'd get to test out their Pokedexes as well, which held data on over eight-freakin'-hundred Pokemon from around the world, apparently.

But for Volan, his excitement was born from nervousness that tingled through his body like he was Bernice using Diffuse to negate an Electric-based move. All of his Pokemon had a type disadvantage against the Pokemon the leader was likely to use. And he had promised himself that he'd only use Flying-types on his journey to the League, which meant he was placing a serious handicap on himself.

However, he felt that this was necessary. He'd learn so much by restricting himself to a single type of Pokemon in terms of what his team was built up from. After all, this was what Gym Leaders themselves did – they used one variety of Pokemon, they studied it, they used it to its greatest potential to cover for their weaknesses.

 _So let's see how I'm doing so far, at the Lumiose City Gym!_ Volan thought, apprehensive but still very much looking forward to the challenge ahead of him. _Let's see if I indeed have what it takes to be like a Gym Leader._

-.-.-.-.-.

It was Thrin who decided she'd enter the gym first. She slipped through the large sliding doors at the base of Prism Tower, and found herself in a dark hallway filled with greenish light. The light, she realized, was coming from large tubes lining the walls and from another tube that ran along the length of the corridor underfoot. They contained electricity that hummed softly as she proceeded inside, toward the door on the other end.

When she got there, a TV screen above the door flickered to life, displaying the symbol of the Pokemon League – a Poke Ball with a large trapezoidal growth on its right. A mechanical voice came from speakers hidden on either side of her, making it seem as though the hallway itself was speaking to her.

"Welcome. To the Lumiose Gym," the voice spoke haltingly, in slightly robotic tones. "Are you. A challenger, miss?"

"Yep, my brother and I have come to challenge the Gym," Thrin clarified, after clearing her throat.

"How many badges have you earned?" asked the voice.

"One so far," she replied.

At this, the screen seemed to flinch.

"Only _one_?" the voice repeated, incredulous. "In order to challenge. The Lumiose Gym, Trainers must have accumulated. At least five Gym badges."

That threw Thrin for a loop, enough so that she didn't speak right away. When she did, she seemed to falter out of shock. "I-I wasn't aware that there was such a rule…"

"Please. Leave immediately," implored the voice.

A whirring sound made itself known, and two robotic arms extended from the walls. They stopped only centimeters from Thrin, and their rounded ends started to spark.

Eyes wide, Thrin started, "Wait, what the fu–"

Chaos promptly ensued.

-.-.-.-.-.

Volan could not believe his eyes when Thrin exited out of the Lumiose City Gym not even a minute after she'd gone inside. Her skin and clothes were charred in various places, and some of her hair was sticking out every which way.

"What the hell happened?!" he demanded, immediately grabbing hold of her arm and checking her for damage that might potentially be permanent. "You look like you were just attacked by a Galvantula!"

Tearing her arm away, Thrin replied in a mutter, "I may as well have been. Whoever runs that Gym is completely nuts. They said I couldn't get in unless I had at least five badges, and then they dropped a bolt of lightning on me."

Frowning, Volan thought back to that news report they'd seen in Professor Sycamore's lab, where the local Gym Leader had been being interviewed. He'd had yellow hair and enormous spectacles, and looked like he was about their age… he certainly didn't seem anything like the kind of person that'd electrocute a challenger for not having a certain amount of badges.

Almost as if he'd read Volan's thoughts, Trevor piped up, "W-Well, didn't we hear something about the leader going somewhere else to check on what's causing the blackouts elsewhere in the city? I think he said something about leaving a substitute behind…"

Thrin's brow cleared up, relieving her otherwise thunderous (pardon the pun) expression. "Oh, that would explain it. Maybe he'll be done whatever he needs to do next time we arrive at Lumiose. I'd like to have a word with him about being more careful who he lets guard the –"

"Hey," Trevor piped up, cutting off what would most likely end up being an angry rant. Thrin could be explosive at times.

"What is it?" Volan asked, and turned to face the smaller boy only to find that he was pointing somewhere in another direction.

"Isn't that Calem over there?" elaborated Trevor. He pointed again, more insistently this time, in order to point out the distinctive blue jacket worn by their comrade.

Squinting into the distance, Thrin nodded in confirmation once she'd picked out the familiar boy from amongst the other random people that were milling about the central plaza on which Prism Tower was situated. She nudged Volan's arm and pointed as well, helping him locate more exactly where Calem was walking. He gave her a thumbs-up to show her he'd got the message, and together they crossed the plaza to meet up with him.

Calem himself was quite surprised when he looked up from his digital Town Map and found three of his friends converging on him. "Oh, hello," he greeted them offhandedly, then stopped when he caught a glimpse of Thrin's condition. "Thrin, are you alright? You're… you're scorched all over. Did something happen?"

"The Gym happened," she replied, somewhat drolly, and relayed to him the unpleasant experience she'd just gone through.

When she finished, Calem appeared to be lost in thought. "I see," he finally said, once she'd stopped talking. "I left Tierno and Shauna for a little while so I could check out the Gym for myself. I thought that maybe I'd challenge it if I was feeling good about it when I got here, but it seems as though I've walked all the way here for nothing…"

Volan frowned, noticing that Calem seemed oddly calm about what he was sure would be a disappointing development for him. Then again, Calem never really showed much emotion other than his usual composed and neutral, yet polite, demeanor.

"Well, it doesn't have to be for nothing," Thrin reasoned. "It's been a couple of hours since breakfast, why don't we find a café or something to settle down in before we go our separate ways?"

Calem looked vaguely pleased, judging from the small smile that graced his face with its presence. "That sounds nice, actually. There happens to be a place nearby that I've heard good things about – Flair Café on Magenta Plaza. If you don't mind, could I ask you about your Gym battle with Viola on the way there? I'm always looking for new ideas when it comes to training my own Pokemon."

The Gureis were somewhat thrown off by the sudden change in conversation topic, but they told Calem that it wasn't a problem and that his suggestion sounded great. It didn't take them long to reach Magenta Plaza, but that was all the time they needed to describe how they'd beaten Viola and earned their first badge.

Leading them into a wide alleyway on the edge of the plaza, Calem responded to their story, "Interesting, combining your Pokemon's moves like that. I suppose fighting in double battles allows you to work together in novel ways that aren't possible in normal battles."

The Flair Café, when Calem stopped in front of its door, was revealed to be a small place that took up the first story of one of the towering buildings that made up the 'walls' of the alley. When he held the door open to allow the others to go inside first, Volan immediately noticed how small and oddly secure the café seemed. The walls, ceiling, floor… heck, even the furnishing was all painted in various dark shades of red. There were no windows, with only the occasional bulb mounted high up on the wall providing any sort of light. The darkness made Volan feel strangely safe, as if this were a place where he could discuss his innermost secrets with others, without fear of them making it outside. The air was thick, but not in an oppressive way – rather, in a way that seemed to deaden all sound and keep a peaceful atmosphere.

Of course, the fact that it was currently deserted helped, aside from a single person sitting in the far corner and a woman in uniform working behind the counter. She greeted them cheerfully, yet quietly, when they walked up to the cash register to place their orders. They then walked off to one of the larger tables to wait.

"You know," Volan remarked, making sure to keep his voice down as well in order to preserve the room's mostly silent atmosphere, "I was expecting something more flamboyant out of a place called 'Flair Café'."

"I like it," Trevor said with approval. "It feels nice here. Like no matter how many people visited, I could sit here without being disturbed."

When the barista brought them their drinks, they paid right there and watched her bustle off to continue whatever work she'd been doing beforehand. Once she left, though, things became silent again as they sipped their drinks and savored them. There was a television mounted on the ceiling above the counter, tuned to a Kalos news station. The report playing now was apparently of a murder in Santalune City, which quickly cut to a less alarming report of some new discovery on display at a museum someplace. As they watched, they heard a slight shuffling from the only other person residing in the café, as said person collected their things in preparation to leave.

But it was only when the person passed by their table on their way towards the door did Volan and Thrin finally realize who it was.

"Sera!" the latter couldn't help but speak the name in a gasp.

The grim girl with the strangely tragic eyes, as Volan remembered her, halted in her tracks and spared their table a glance. Her black clothes (and hair, and everything else other than her skin) blended in almost perfectly with the dim lightning, making it seem as though the shadows were clinging to her wherever she went. It was an unsettling effect – one that Volan could tell Trevor had noticed as well and was shrinking back, intimidated, because of it.

"What do you want?" Sera muttered, her weary gaze trained on Thrin.

"I… just wasn't expecting to see you here, is all," she replied, sounding sheepish. "And I never got to thank you for your help against Team Flare the other day."

Sera scoffed at this, glaring. "Don't bother. I only stepped in because I knew Volantes' Pokemon couldn't get free and save the two of you by themselves."

As she said this, Volan notice her dark eyes flick briefly to him, then to the cast he was wearing over his broken arm. If there was any change in the emotions constantly swirling behind her orbs, he couldn't see any sign of it.

"So you… c-care about us?" Trevor tried to say with amusement. If only he wasn't so nervous, he might have been able to pull off the necessary sarcasm.

Unfortunately, Sera didn't appreciate it regardless and pinned him to his seat with the glare she focused on him. "If the bunch of you are so weak that you need to rely on someone just happening to come by to save your asses, then I shouldn't have bothered in the first place."

"I was handling things _just fine_ , thanks very much," Thrin snapped irritably.

When Calem placed a hand on her arm, to restrain her if the situation called for it, Sera noticed him for the first time. She studied him for about four seconds, but he held up under her scrutiny unflinchingly. Her face still refused to betray emotion, leaving Volan to wonder just what was it about Calem she found so interesting.

Finally, she tilted her head back to Thrin and let a tiny smirk flit into view. "Convince him to come along so you'd have something to look at on your journey, did you?"

The reaction was instantaneous. Thrin whipped her head from one person to the other, her mouth open in complete outrage at the insinuation. Still, though, Calem remained unfazed, leading Volan to believe that he heard girls commenting about his outward appearance all the time.

Meanwhile, Thrin was busy trying to splutter out an answer. "I – what do you – I'm not – _NO_!" she finally snarled.

"Froak?" asked the shiny Froakie, poking her head out of Thrin's bag to see what the fuss was about.

Sera stopped mid-reply, her eyes widening ever so slightly like she was surprised to be seeing the rare Water-type again after the incident at the lab. Froakie held her gaze, staring calmly back with unreadable yellow orbs that held a faint trace of curiosity. There was something about this girl that interested Froakie, Volan realized from watching the interaction, and Thrin noticed it as well.

He wasn't going to lie… he held a certain degree of fascination for Sera as well. She was abrasive and rude, and probably had anger issues, but there was some sadness about her, too.

Now, she turned back to Thrin with a malicious glint of light in her midnight-blue eyes, and strode away towards the door with a swish of her short skirt. Her parting comment held a subtle victorious lilt as it floated back towards them as she exited – "Figures. You're probably not good enough for him, anyway."

All at once, Thrin shoved her chair back and stood up aggressively, anger radiating off of her in invisible waves that disturbed the otherwise serene air of the dark café. Both Volan and Calem grabbed her arms and held her in place until she calmed down enough to lower herself back into her seat.

"I assume you know that girl," Calem stated a moment later.

"Yeah, but she was edgier than that, the last time we saw her," Thrin informed him, her voice still harboring some leftover annoyance. "Guess we caught her in a better mood – lucky us. Or she's decided insulting me is her new favorite sport, after I lost to her on Route 22."

With a high-pitched croak, Froakie clambered into her lap and rested there in a standing position, sliding her eyelids closed. Somewhat absentmindedly – still more focused on Sera's parting insult – Thrin stroked the frog Pokemon's head.

"D-Did you see her bag?" stammered Trevor all of a sudden. "I think that was a Bug Badge pinned to the strap."

The development that her rival might be aiming for the Kalos League got Thrin thinking a little. Then, she shrugged and stated, "So now I suppose it doesn't matter if I never pay her back for beating me. I'll simply give her some sweet, sweet retribution when it comes time to fight her at the League."

"That's the spirit," Volan replied, patting her on the back with a short laugh.

However, Calem was currently frowning and staring intently at his mug in front of him, giving some serious thought to something. After a minute or so of this, when Volan, Thrin, and Trevor had gone back to sipping their own drinks, he looked up with a serious expression on his face.

"I want you to battle me, Thrin," he announced, which made Thrin put her mug down in surprise.

When he saw her looking at him questioningly, Calem went on, "I'd like a one-on-one battle with you to see how I need to improve myself before the next Gym. After hearing about how you and Volan beat Viola, I realize there's much I need to do if I want to set myself apart at the time of the League."

Now frowning as well, Thrin pointed out, "But Volan and I challenged Viola to a double battle, whereas you fought alone."

"Doesn't matter," he stated, shaking his head to cut off any further argument. "I have to do better. So, will you accept?"

 _Have to do better?_ The vague answer didn't sit well with Volan – especially when he looked over and saw Calem showing an uncharacteristic amount of emotion.

 _Why would something like this stress him out so much?_ he asked himself.

But his wondering was put on hold when Thrin stood up and grinned down at Calem. "Sure thing," she accepted his challenge. "Outside, in the plaza?"

They finished their drinks and left the mugs on the table (and in Thrin's case, put Froakie back in the backpack), making sure to thank the woman behind the counter as they exited the café. She waved to them as they passed through the door, although they hardly noticed – the soon-to-come battle was already occupying their minds.

"Look, there's a spot near the middle of the plaza we can use!" Thrin shouted, and broke into a run so she could get there before someone else claimed it.

Noticing that there were quite a few other people out and about, Volan and the other two decided they'd better keep up, lest they lose her.

-.-.-.-.-.

Back inside Flair Café, the barista reached up to press down on a hidden earpiece. Static suddenly buzzed softly in her ear even as a mic extended out from the little piece of equipment and stopped directly beside her mouth.

"I just had five Trainers come in here," she whispered conspiratorially. "Two girls, one with a Froakie and the other wearing all black, and three boys – one with glasses, one kind of meek and shrimpy, and the last fairly hot."

A giggle sounded from the other end. " _I'm oh so glad to hear that! They're the ones that have totally crossed us before. You'd so better send someone to keep an eye on them._ "

"Already on it," the woman reported, opening the cash register to reveal a hidden keypad, on which she started typing a message. "I've got four grunts that'd be happy to take the job."

" _Peachy,_ " Lovrina's smirk was actually audible in her voice. " _Send a message to Ambrette Town while you're at it. Tell Snattle that I'm on my way, and that some valuable prizes are so coming his way._ "

-.-.-.-.-.

"This will be a one-on-one battle between Thrin and Calem," announced Trevor, letting his voice carry properly as the referee for this battle. "The winner will be decided when the Pokemon on either side is unable to continue. Send out your Pokemon!"

While Volan watched on the sidelines with Edgar and Froakie sitting beside him on the same bench, Thrin called out Akuma – since he was her only official Pokemon on hand right now – and Calem summoned something unfamiliar to him. At first he thought it was Calem's own normally-colored Froakie, but this Pokemon was larger and much sleeker, with streamlined crests forming over its eyes and a scarf made out of frubbles.

 _His Froakie must have evolved,_ Volan realized. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his new holographic Pokedex, which expanded upon scanning the Pokemon and spoke its information in a cool feminine tone.

" **Frogadier,** " it reported. " ** _Bullanura velocitus_** **. A Water-type Bubble Frog Pokemon, the evolved form of Froakie. It no longer requires as much moisture to survive as it did in the past, so it has evolved to become incredibly fast on land. Sleeker and almost all muscle, a Frogadier is able to scale a skyscraper measuring over two thousand feet in only a minute. Its frubbles are used as weapons for catching prey, even at high speeds. It throws projectiles with such precise aim, they can hit an empty can from over a hundred feet away. Specimen is male with a power level of seventeen. Known moves: Quick Attack, Water Pulse, Water Pledge, Icy Wind. Ability: Torrent.** "

When he looked down at the shiny Froakie, Volan saw that her eyes were wide and focused intently on Frogadier. He took that to mean she was paying close attention to the battle, studying her evolved form in order to better understand the kind of fighting she could look forward to in the future.

"Let's do this, Akuma!" cheered Thrin, pumping a fist in the air. "Start things off with Struggle Bug!"

" _Here we go~!_ " the Scale Pokemon chirruped, giggling as he shot toward Frogadier with his body glowing green.

Calem's mouth tightened with focus as he watched Akuma move. "Struggle Bug lowers the special-attack stat… we can't have that. Frogadier, dodge and use Quick Attack!"

"Gadier!" Frogadier replied – and then vanished.

Seconds later, Frogadier reappeared behind Akuma and then moved so fast that the only part of him that was visible was the streak of white light that flashed after him. He hit Akuma with a shoulder tackle that sent the Bug-and-Flying-type spiraling through the air dizzily.

"Don't let that speed intimidate you!" Thrin shouted up. "Use Gust!"

With a great cry of "Veeeeooon!" Akuma whipped up a churning wall of wind that shot forward to consume Frogadier.

"Block it with Icy Wind!" implored Calem.

"Frogaaaa…" Frogadier muttered, cupping his hands, and then pushed his palms forward to release the frigid energy he'd built up. "Diiiiiier!"

The concentrated gust of Icy Wind sliced through the ordinary Gust, protecting Frogadier while the wind harmlessly blew around and past him. When the threat had passed, Frogadier lowered his arms and smirked slightly.

"Now use Water Pulse!" Calem ordered.

At the same time, anticipating the command, Thrin called, "Use Protect!"

A sphere of water swirled into existence between Frogadier's hands, which he then launched with a spin and a deadly-accurate overhead toss. But Akuma was quick to guard, his wings curling to produce the protective green shield that would keep him safe. Against it, the watery orb exploded and doused the force field, but Akuma was untouched.

"Use another Gust!" yelled Thrin.

Frogadier wasn't fast enough this time. The Gust tore across the pavement and flung him back toward his master, although he landed on his feet with a gleam in his eye, not out of the fight yet by a long shot. When Calem commanded a Water Pledge, he moved with just as much speed as before, proving he had yet to lose any stamina.

Thrin saw the water puddles forming on the ground in a straight line towards Akuma, which then surged upwards into large waterspouts that came closer and closer to striking. She ordered, "Fly straight up, get out of range! Then dive down with Struggle Bug!"

Just as the spouts were about to reach him, Akuma soared upwards and away from the damaging water, allowing the spouts to die down to nothing. " _Wheeeeee~!_ " he exclaimed, and did a loop-the-loop before lighting his body up with green energy and rushing to meet Frogadier.

"Water Pulse!" shouted Calem.

"Dier!" the Water-type croaked, throwing the projectile with unerring accuracy.

 _The Pokedex hadn't been kidding,_ marveled Volan. He witnessed the Water Pulse shoot forwards to splash right against Akuma's face, stopping the Vivillon's descent immediately. When the mist cleared, he was shaking himself to clear away any stray droplets.

"Now, Icy Wind!" the black-haired boy ordered.

Shaking her head frantically, Thrin warned her Pokemon, "No, don't let them hit you with that! It's coming straight for you!"

Her directions turned out to be key. Akuma, squinting through the mist of water droplets that were still clinging to his eyes and making it difficult to see, flapped his wings once strongly and pulled off a flawless barrel roll – his body skirting around the edges of the beam of frost-imbued wind, he shook away the rest of the water and blinked his eyes open wide. Frogadier was directly in front of him now, he couldn't miss!

And Thrin realized this too. "Struggle Bug!"

Not losing any speed from his aerial maneuver, Akuma flashed green and finally succeeded in driving himself into Frogadier's gut, driving the air from the amphibian's lungs. A blue aura swept down his body, indicating a drop in his stats.

"Get up with Quick Attack!" called Calem.

Frogadier ended up following this order to the letter, launching himself off of the ground with a powerful spring of his back legs. Akuma was too close to dodge, and now it was his turn to go flying backwards from the impact of Frogadier slamming into his thorax.

Wishing to press his advantage, Calem continued, "Follow up with Icy Wind! It'll hit this time!"

When Frogadier cupped his hands, Thrin was momentarily at a loss about what to do. Then, she shook her head furiously and went with the first thing that came to mind – "Spin while using Sleep Powder!"

"Vi-vi-vi-viiiiii~!" Akuma cried, rotating his body while shedding his wing scales. The result was a series of waves consisting of sparkly green dust pulsing out from his body and across the battlefield.

"Frogaaaaa!" shouted Frogadier, throwing his arms forward to release the Icy Wind. But, somehow, the waves of powder interfered with the chilling wind and caused it to dissipate, while at the same time they were disrupted by the force of the fierce gust.

Thrin commanded, "Regular Sleep Powder this time!"

Giggling madly, like this whole situation was simply hysterical to him, Akuma stopped spinning and churned his wings, setting free more of his scales. They drifted towards Frogadier, who appeared to be tiring from multiple Icy Winds.

"Defend with Water Pledge!" Calem said.

"Diiiiiier…" the Water-type responded, concentrating greatly while punching the ground with a closed fist.

Just as before, puddles of water formed along the ground in a straight line before sequentially rocketing upwards as geysers that fountained into the air to scatter droplets across the field. The first geyser blasted straight through the cloud of Sleep Powder and rendered it completely ineffective, dissipating it as effectively as a powerful wind would have. The rest continued to advance towards Akuma, then began to circle around his position in a spiraling pattern.

"Akuma, time for Wing Shield!" cried the Gurei girl, excitement making her eyes glint with life, as they always did when she spoke the name of her combo.

Encasing himself in a Protect barrier turned out to be the correct move for Akuma, as not even a second later, the Water Pledge finally collided with him to drench the force field with water and shower the pavement beneath. Then Akuma dispelled the shield and opened his wings, catching Frogadier completely off guard – enough so that the resulting wall of wind picked him up and sent him hurtling into the growing audience of random passersby.

Volan stared over at Frogadier, now painfully but steadily getting to his feet, with stunned admiration. That Wing Shield combo had totally surprised the Bubble Frog Pokemon, but he wasn't letting that stop him from finishing the battle.

"That reminds me," he mused aloud, causing the Pokemon with him to look at him, "I'd better start coming up with good combos for _my_ team, too."

"Keeee?" questioned the shiny Froakie. " _You can do that?_ "

" _Yep,_ " answered Edgar. " _S'far as I know, skilled Trainers can dream up some flabbergastin' move combos. Unorthodox, some of 'em, but dead useful, see?_ "

Nodding, Froakie turned back to the battle with her interest re-kindled, watching Thrin work with Akuma with as much intensity as she'd been viewing her own evolved form.

Already on the move again, Frogadier hurled a Water Pulse like a fastball in a baseball game, which burst against Akuma's body and soaked him. Fluttering feebly only a short distance from the ground, the elegant-patterned Vivillon let out a soft twitter of distress.

"Spin while using Gust!" was Thrin's solution.

"Viiiiii-veon!" Akuma cried out, using all his wing strength to propel him higher into the air. Once he was ready, he started to whirl around as if caught in a tornado – and it soon looked like he was, based on the waves of ferocious wind he pumped out to sweep the field clear.

Through his arms, thrown up in front of his face to protect himself, Volan could see Frogadier struggling to hold on, but ultimately failing. The frog lost his footing and sailed right into Calem, toppling the black-haired boy and turning them into a mess of sprawled-out limbs on the ground. Akuma stopped the epic windstorm – his wings were, incidentally, now completely dry – and allowed Calem to painfully get into a sitting position while supporting Frogadier on his shoulder.

"Y… You alright?" he asked his Pokemon, wincing.

"Froga gadier," replied Frogadier, although he didn't sound completely sure.

"Then let's use Icy Wind next," Calem stated, with a determined nod.

With that, Frogadier sprang right back into battle, already charging icy energy between his palms. When it was fully charged, he unleashed the Icy Wind with a high-pitched howl.

"Defend with Gust!" Thrin retorted.

The wind produced by Frogadier's power and that which was churned up by the flapping of Akuma's wings clashed in the middle of the battlefield, meeting as two equal forces fighting to overcome the other. They pushed back and forth, neither gaining the upper hand for more than a second – and then the winds died down.

The Pokemon were unable to keep going for any longer than that. From the effort it took to keep his attack going, Frogadier dropped to one knee and placed a hand on the ground for additional support, panting heavily. And Akuma didn't seem to be any better off, as his wingbeats were now clumsier and more labored than before.

"Why don't we call this off?" suggested Calem, raising his voice so that it'd carry over to Thrin. "Our Pokemon don't look like they can take much more."

Initially caught off guard by his proposal, Thrin then gave him a nod. "Sounds good to me," she answered. "We'll call it a draw, then."

Recalling Frogadier with a word of thanks, Calem stepped forward and offered his hand politely to Thrin. "It seems as though we're on an equal level for now. But I promise you that won't last. Frogadier and I will give it all we have on the road to becoming Champion of Kalos."

Taking a moment to regard his outstretched hand curiously, Thrin asked, "Does this mean we're rivals now?"

He considered that. "Yes, I believe it does," he concluded, smiling more broadly.

Thrin matched his pleased expression and reached out to clasp his hand in acceptance of his challenge. "Look out then! Because Akuma and I – and any other Pokemon I end up catching – are going to keep getting stronger, and before you know it we'll have already beaten you at the League!"

"I admire your spirit," Calem grinned. "Good luck to you, Thrin – and to you Trevor, and you, Volan, as well," he added, briefly turning to face the two boys.

He withdrew his hand and, with a slight tip of the brim of his baseball cap, he headed off toward the nearest street on the edge of the plaza, through the crowd of applauding onlookers that had clearly enjoyed the battle between him and Thrin.

Volan picked up the backpack containing Froakie, pausing to let Edgar settle once more on his shoulder, and walked over to Thrin alongside Trevor. The three of them met in the middle to congratulate Thrin and Akuma on a battle well fought. She turned light pink at the praise and accepted the bag her brother held out to her, slinging it into its rightful place against her back.

Suddenly, it writhed like a living creatures, and Froakie hopped out of the open pocket. She whirled around to stare up at Thrin eagerly, her unusual ice-blue skin glistening wetly in the sun.

"Froakie, froak Froakie!" she chirped insistently.

Fascinated, Trevor bent down to examine the shiny Pokemon more closely. "Do you have any idea what she's saying?"

Instinctively, Volan twisted his head to look at Edgar, who appeared to be blinking back shock. "Edgar, what did she say?"

The Murkrow shook himself and said, almost dazedly, " _She's sayin'… she's sayin' dat she wants to travel with youse!_ "

"WHAT?" Thrin gasped, when Volan had translated for her. She bent down into a crouch to peer more directly into Froakie's intense yellow orbs. "Froakie, is that really what you've decided? You want your Trainer to be me?"

She nodded vigorously, and hopped up and down a little to emphasize the enthusiasm she felt for this decision. "Kee kee, froak Froakie!"

" _Now she's sayin' sometin' about how Thrin's an impressive Trainer and it took her dis long to realize dat,_ " Edgar continued, as Volan went on to relay his words to the others. " _And… well, dat's pretty fascinatin'. She also feels some sorta empathy for dat Sera chick, and tinks dat joinin' Thrin will give her more opportunities to meet her and figger out what's goin' on. I tink. I can't make much sense of her speech when she talks so fast._ "

Curious, Thrin questioned, "What about Sera has you so worried? Wouldn't you rather join with her, if that's the case?"

"Froakie kee," denied Froakie, with a shake of her head.

"Edgar?" prompted Thrin.

" _I was about to tell youse, no need for such impatience,_ " the Dark-and-Flying-type huffed. " _She's speculatin' dat you an' her can only help Sera wit what's troublin' her if youse work togedder on it. And she also says she likes youse more._ "

It took a while after hearing this for Thrin to process it. But when she was done thinking, she reached toward her belt and pulled off a spare Poke Ball, holding it out for Froakie to take.

"Well, no matter your reason, I'm sure we'll be an awesome team!" she enthused. "Welcome to the team, Froakie! And because you remind me of someone I used to hang out with in school back in Unova, I'll name you… Claire!"

The newly-christened Claire reached out with a tiny forelimb and tapped the button on the front of the ball, allowing herself to be drawn inside with a flash of red light. A shake or two later, and the capsule let off a burst of sparkles.

"A-Awesome!" Trevor cried, unable to help but stammer in his glee.

"A new and powerful team member for you, Thrin," Volan commented. He felt as giddy as Trevor sounded, truly happy for his sister and her achievement. "I can't wait to see the two of you grow closer."

"Yeah," she replied with a modest laugh. Then it died down, and she added confusedly, "But… why would Froakie feel concern about Sera in the first place?"

Refusing to let that matter ruin his good mood, Volan shrugged, "We can ask her that once I become able to understand her."

However, that only reminded him of a trouble of his own, and that _did_ succeed in dragging him down. "Hopefully," he murmured, "it's after I get through to Piper. She still seems to trust mostly in herself."

But he'd have to cross that bridge when he came to it, and Thrin agreed with such thoughts, patting him on the back and assuring him that he and Piper would work things out in no time.

He felt a light tap on his back. It was Trevor – and to his shock, the boy had turned white and was quivering. Before Volan could ask what was wrong, the orange-haired boy pointed to somewhere behind the siblings, his finger trembling madly.

Then they saw what it was that had him so frightened.

A tall figure in a dark trench coat and sunglasses. Their face was stoic and betrayed no emotion, and they were heading straight for them.

-.-.-.-.-.

 **So sorry about the long wait, readers! This chapter just didn't want to be written.**

 **Now onto talking about the chapter itself… Clembot is a source of hilarity in the anime and he shall continue to be as much in this continuity.**

 **Thrin now has another rival – a friendlier one (although more boring)! And the shiny Froakie is OFFICIALLY on board, with the name Claire! I gave her that name because, well, she's special… and I have my own friend with the same name who is special to** ** _me_** **.**

 **Claire: "Froak!** ** _Review!_** **"**

 ** _Bullanura velocitus_** **= "swift bubble frog"**

 **Next chapter** **: A Champion Appears**

 **Chapter Question #17: Who's your favorite anime-exclusive character in XY?**

 **Hmm… that's a tough one for me, but Blaziken Mask is pretty awesome. Oh, and I think Squishy should count too.**

 **-.-.-.-.-.**

 **Volan's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Edgar (Murkrow, male)  
** **Ability: Super Luck**

 **Piper (Fletchinder, female)  
** **Ability: Flame Body**

 **Majesty (Combee, female)  
** **Ability: Honey Gather**

 **Thrin's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Akuma (Vivillon, male)  
** **Ability: Compound Eyes**

 **Claire (Froakie, female, shiny)  
** **Ability: Protean  
** **Moves: Bubble, Quick Attack, Lick, Toxic Spikes**


	24. A Champion Appears

**_Chapter 22 – A Champion Appears_**

 **Last time on "Flight of a Legend"…**

 **After the business with Team Flare, Volan and Thrin were finally ready to head out to the Lumiose City Gym. However, Thrin was not able to get in, and so the group ran into Calem and spent some time with him at a café – which is where they ran into, and in Thrin's case, fought with, Sera. Afterwards, Calem requested a battle with Thrin, which ended up a draw. The performance ended up convincing the shiny Froakie that Thrin was the Trainer for her, so she joined the Gurei girl's team with the name of Claire!**

-.-.-.-.-.

Now, Volan had been through a lot. Just that morning, he'd woken up with a broken arm courtesy of a fight with Team Flare and a Pokemon they'd apparently turned into a killing machine. And Team Plasma… 'nuff said.

But he'd never been approached by a mysterious stranger in a dark trench coat and sunglasses before, and if someone had said that he eventually would, he'd have waved it off and scoffed at how cliché that sounded.

Well, it was actually happening – he was gazing at said stranger as they approached him and his friends with an unreadable expression on their face. It didn't feel like a cliché, though, it actually felt rather foreboding.

"Wh-What do we d-do?" the ever-nervous Trevor stammered, clutching Thrin's shoulders in an attempt to hide behind the Gurei girl.

Honestly, Volan felt about as nervous as Trevor undoubtedly was. He glanced down at his cast guiltily – if it came right down to it, how well would he be able to defend himself with a broken arm? Even remembering that he could now call back his old Pokemon back from Professor Sycamore's lab via the Pokedex didn't help.

"Just… get behind me," he advised nevertheless. "I'll do the talking. Hopefully we can get out of this without any trouble."

Edgar fluttered his wings encouragingly. " _Won't be no problem, Boss,_ " he assured his master. " _If dis palooka wants ta fight, we's more den capable of givin' 'im one._ "

He tilted his head so that he could watch them take cover behind him. When he deemed them safe, Volan turned around to see the figure in the trench coat take the last few steps necessary to reach them. They were only slightly taller than Volan, with mirrored sunglasses, a hat, and a high collar obscuring most of their face. However, he could tell that they had short, silvery-gray hair and a slightly rounded face that brought to mind a woman.

Swallowing, Volan raised his voice so he'd sound bold. "Can I help you?"

"Perhaps," the figure replied mysteriously, the sound of her voice confirming Volan's suspicions about her gender. She turned her head ever so slightly, the only indication that she was now peering at Thrin. "I saw your battle, young miss. I understand that you and your brother are entering the Kalos League this year?"

Fidgeting uncomfortably, Thrin raised her head to look back at the woman that stood there with a small, encouraging smile on her face, silently imploring her to answer the question.

"Yes," she finally replied. "My brother and I are going to compete."

In response, the woman raised her arms and placed her hands together in delight at the news. "Oh, how wonderful!" she enthused, although she maintained a composed and quiet attitude. "I'm looking forward to seeing you there. You are Volantes and Thrin Gurei, are you not? The White and Black Heroes of Unova?"

Hearing their names, not to mention their titles, dropped by this mysterious stranger gave the siblings a minor shock. It wasn't as strong as it would've been if they hadn't gotten used to people recognizing them from the Battle of Vertress by now, but it was still there.

 _Just who is this?_ Volan asked himself, peering more closely at the woman, and he could tell that Thrin was doing the same.

"I've been wanting to meet the two of you," the woman smiled – her expression would've been kind if it weren't for the sunglasses completely hiding her eyes. "If you don't mind, I'd like to speak with you someplace private. I know a place where we can sit and talk without being bothered, if you'd care to join me?"

Alarm bells went off in Volan's head. He could already think of three potential outcomes of such a meeting, and none of them bode very well for him, Thrin, or Trevor. Exchanging a significant look with each of them revealed that they were thinking exactly the same thing.

"N-No thanks, w-we're good," Trevor attempted a sheepish laugh. "We w-wouldn't want t-to be too much of a b-bother."

Shaking her head, the woman insisted. "No, no, it wouldn't be any bother at all, I assure you. Please might we go someplace quiet for a little talk? I really would be in your debt if you'd care to let me borrow some of your time."

From the way she spoke, soft and politely insistent, she didn't exactly seem the type to pull a fast one on them – but still, Volan wasn't willing to take a chance. He might have been more trusting than he'd been in the past, but he sure as heck wasn't stupid, either.

"Look," it was Thrin who spoke, in the tones of one who really didn't want to have to disclose this kind of information. "It's just that we can't bring ourselves to go off alone with a suspicious stranger. You're wearing sunglasses and a trench coat, which just has bad news written all over it."

The woman looked slightly shocked, and ducked her head to take a look at her garments. Then the shock wore off, and she chuckled. "My, only now do I see why it may have been a bad idea to go out wearing this."

When she got no reply from Trevor or either of the Gurei siblings, she reached up and took her sunglasses off, revealing a pair of eyes that were a similar shade of grey as her hair, only steelier. They radiated both kindness and wisdom, making Volan suddenly think of when he'd met Alder in his home region. The Champion of Unova had been similarly kind and wise.

"I guess it can't be helped then," the woman whispered, bending down slightly so that her head was at the same level as Volan's and Thrin's. "I had preferred to introduce myself when we were alone, but if it will help you believe me… my name is Diantha. I happen to be the Champion of Kalos."

 _Ah,_ Volan realized, noticing that he was surprisingly calm given the circumstances. _That would explain the disguise, then._

Both Thrin and Trevor had somewhat more noticeable reactions than he – the former blinked her eyes several times as her expression morphed into one of awe, while the latter actually flinched and stumbled back with his mouth hanging open and his eyes the size of golf balls.

"You know, I had a feeling I recognized you," Thrin remarked. "I wasn't sure where, though."

That surprised Volan. "Why? From where do you recognize her?"

"She's a famous actress," his sister explained. "She was in that one movie… I forget the name, but it was the one where the cruise ship hits the giant Avalugg?"

Volan had never seen the movie, personally, so he gave her the benefit of the doubt and nodded.

Diantha's smile turned slightly wry. "So, now do you trust me enough to go along with my request?"

It was Trevor who first nodded, although he was noticeably shaky when he did so. "Y-Yes… or at l-least, I think we d-do."

She raised a hand to her mouth and let out a soft giggle. "There's nothing for you to be nervous about, child. Why don't we head over to South Boulevard and visit my favorite café? It would be my treat."

Somewhat nervously, Volan chuckled. "That would be nice, if we literally hadn't just visited one."

"Oh," she replied, her brow clearing up from when she'd furrowed it at the beginning of his sentence, expecting him to say that he still didn't believe her. "Well, we should go anyway. It will be a safe place for us to chat for a few minutes without being disturbed."

When she uttered the last word, she quickly turned her head to the left and then to the right, checking to make sure no-one had noticed her. Apparently not feeling assured, she put her sunglasses back on and straightened up.

While she did this, Volan shot Thrin and Trevor a questioning look in turn. Did they want to go along with her, and see what she wanted?

After a brief pause in which his friends each closed their eyes, deep in thought as they considered Diantha's proposition, they looked back at him with their mouths quirking upwards at the edges – a silent _okay_ if there ever was one.

"Splendid," the Champion smiled at them. "Come along then, it isn't far."

-.-.-.-.-.

As it turned out, the café that Diantha led them to hadn't even opened yet, despite the current time being only a few hours away from noon.

"I happen to be good friends with the owner of this establishment," she explained, gesturing for them to sit down at one of the tables closer to the back of the café. "He never minds if I step in for a bit of quiet time. I have such a busy schedule most days that I can't help but slip in here for a half hour to unwind, if only a little bit."

She took off her trench coat and smoothed down her pristine white shirt and shorts before sitting down opposite the Gurei siblings. Trevor took the only available seat next to her, even though he looked so nervous to be sitting close to such a famous figure that he looked at risk of wetting himself.

Gently shaking Edgar off of his shoulder, Volan reached into his backpack and poured out a large bowl of Pokemon food that he placed on the empty table next to theirs. Once that was done, he released Piper and Majesty and allowed the three of them to eat. Thrin got the same idea and let Akuma and Claire join the trio of Flying-types. The Vivillon and shiny Froakie settled in peacefully among the others.

"Are those new Pokemon of yours, by any chance?" inquired Diantha, tilting her head with a content smile at the sight of the Pokemon getting along so well. "I don't recognize them from what I've seen of your exploits in Unova."

"Yep, they're new," Thrin confirmed. "We could easily use our old teams to win eight badges and compete in the League, but this is more fun."

"And I'm trying to use only Flying-types on my travels through Kalos," Volan added. "So I'm building an entirely new team as well. It wouldn't be fair to my other Pokemon if I used the fliers I already have and not the rest of them."

"You've put a lot of thought into this goal of yours, then," Diantha remarked, her smile widening slightly as she studied the Unovan boy sitting across from her. "And only Flying-types, you say? My, that's interesting. Of course, since you've already competed in a League prior to this, I'd assume you're handicapping yourself to drive yourself to greater heights as a Trainer?"

"That, and I just _really_ like fliers," Volan admitted, ducking his head with a modest blush staining his cheeks.

Diantha let out an actual laugh. "Fair enough."

"Trevor, why don't you send out your Pokemon as well," Thrin suggested all of a sudden, her somewhat amused eyes on the orange-haired boy. "Maybe it'll help calm your nerves."

He did as she said, smiling a little as his Charmander appeared in his lap with a happy-sounding cry. He fed the Fire-type some Pokemon food and visibly relaxed for all of three seconds – which came to an abrupt end as he tried not to flinch too badly when his Flabébé promptly let herself out and snuggled up against his neck, chirruping joyfully.

"Your Pokemon seem very well-taken care of, too," Diantha complimented him, reaching over to lightly pat Charmander's snout. "Are you planning to enter the Kalos League with your friends?"

He tried hard to work out a reply without stammering, and mostly succeeded. "No," he said with a shake of his head, "b-but I do want to become a photographer and take pictures of every single Pokemon I meet."

"There's nothing wrong with that. I think it's quite a unique and fulfilling goal to have," Diantha assured him, observing his light pink blush of embarrassment. "I see you've caught a Flabébé, too. I've always loved Fairy-types."

She reached out with a delicate hand to brush the tiny Pokemon behind the ears, eliciting a delighted squeal from Flabébé. Her flower seemed to tremble with happiness, its petals fluttering excitedly.

"They're magical, aren't they?" the Champion continued, lavishing Flabébé with more of her attention. "Some say that Fairies are so common in Kalos because of one of our Legendary Pokemon that fills the region with life. They respond and thrive on that energy in the same way that Ghost-types thrive on death."

Thoughtfully, Volan tried to imagine that. A world so overflowing with life-giving magic that it created a haven for Fairy-types everywhere. He'd always thought that they'd naturally evolved as a response to all the fearsome Dragon-types that could be found in Kalos. Thinking back to all the old tales he'd read of Salamence and Noivern burning villages and raiding Mareep flocks, he realized that would probably put some serious selection pressure on Kalosian wildlife.

Gulping, Trevor agreed, "Y-Yeah, they're… alright."

"Fla bey!" chirped Flabébé. She leaned away from Diantha's touch to hug Trevor's cheek.

The look in the woman's eyes was slightly teasing as she observed, "I'd consider you to be lucky. Your Flabébé has really taken a shine to you."

Trevor tried not to blush too hard, while at the same time trying to ensure that his face didn't lose too much color from the nerves he felt at Flabébé's closeness. Volan suspected from observing his shy, introverted friend that it was harder than it looked.

"Fairy-types make me uncomfortable…" Trevor mumbled, too quietly for anyone else to hear.

But as Volan and Thrin had heard this from him before, they were able to read his lips. Thrin reached under the table to gently grasp his hand, and the orange-haired boy's blush deepened for a moment before he managed to glance up and smile appreciatively.

A lull in the conversation allowed other noises to take over and make themselves known in the otherwise silent café. There were sounds coming from the kitchen, presumably as the staff prepared for when they opened, and the TV mounted on the ceiling in the nearby corner was showing a news broadcast.

" _…_ _thought to be related to the escaped Garchomp incident last night,_ " the magenta-haired newswoman was saying. " _The group was said by Augustine Sycamore to be calling themselves Team Flare – while nothing is currently known about said group, citizens are advised to be careful until more is learned._ "

When Volan turned back to the table, everyone was frowning, having presumably been listening to the news as well.

"Simply awful," Diantha despaired. "I never thought Kalos would see the rise of a criminal organization in my lifetime. And thinking back to what Team Plasma, and others, have done in the past…"

Awkwardly, Volan and Thrin shared a knowing look. There was nothing they could say to reassure her, not when they'd experienced the dangers of Team Plasma for themselves. From what little they knew so far, Team Flare could likely end up being just as bad, if not worse, than the Plasmas.

No, it was better to stay silent than to lie.

"You were at the lab, weren't you, when it happened?" Diantha turned a questioning eye towards the siblings plus Trevor. In particular, she was gazing at Volan's cast, correctly inferring how he had been afflicted with such an injury.

"What did they want?" she asked, when they nodded in response.

"They were trying to steal Professor Sycamore's research on Mega Evolution," Thrin reminisced, closing her eyes as she thought back to the attack. "They attempted to kidnap him and almost took Sina's – his assistant's – Garchomp. And before, they mentioned something about a discovery they made about Mega Evolution, and that's why they needed his research results?"

She shook her head. All she really remembered was the hectic battle that had ensued after that. Everything before was a bit hazy.

Tapping his fingers rhythmically on the table, Volan found himself suddenly wracking his brain. _Mega Evolution… Mega Evolution…_

Once again, he remembered that he'd heard the term _somewhere_ before. It was really starting to bother him, not knowing…

Did he learn it from Professor Juniper? Did he see a Pokemon Mega Evolve…?

Yes, that was it. He sat up a little straighter in recognition, now that he had this new clue to go on. He'd witnessed the process before. Now he could think back to how shocked he was, how interested he was to learn more once it was explained to him.

Suddenly, a voice broke out from the fog of memories, loud and clear. " _The professor gave us these wicked stones and told us about Mega Evolution. She said it was, like, something her colleague discovered, and these stones could power up certain Pokemon. We couldn't waaaaaait to try them out, man._ "

That was it! He'd seen Mega Evolution back when he and a few others battled Team Plasma in his hometown, Lacunosa. They'd even mentioned Sycamore by name, he recalled, but none of it had meant anything to him at the time.

He now thought back to what Sycamore himself had told him. " _I also know of a bunch of Trainers that use Mega Evolution,_ _so you could try seeking them out and battling them. Off the top of my head, there are three doing volunteer work for me in Unova and another one working for Lysandre Labs…_ "

Definitely, he'd been referring to the Trainers Volan had previously met and learned about Mega Evolution from in the past. That cleared up a mystery Volan hadn't even known was still there.

He relayed this to Thrin and Trevor, both of whom looked fascinated. Of course, Volan realized – Thrin hadn't been with him at the time, she'd most likely had been kidnapped and held hostage by the Plasmas at that point. And they hadn't met Trevor yet, naturally.

"So you've seen it before," Diantha spoke up, the smile back on her face. "That makes it easier for me to explain it to you. Mega Evolution is a transformation that makes a Pokemon much more powerful. It's triggered by a reaction to two stones – one held by the Trainer, the other by the Pokemon. And when they have a strong enough bond, they can achieve Mega Evolution."

Too absorbed in the subject matter to be nervous anymore, Trevor mused, "We were asked to look into it by Professor Sycamore. Learning this information about it makes me even more curious about what else we can find out."

His Flabébé could be heard letting out a sigh once he was done talking. The Single Bloom Pokemon was leaning into the boy's neck and looking comfortable enough to fall asleep there, to his exasperation.

"I'd recommend Shalour City and the Tower of Mastery," advised Diantha. "Although there are thought be a couple of other locations in Kalos you could look into, that one is the most relevant."

 _The Tower of Mastery_. Volan had heard of that before, once again from Professor Sycamore. It was said to have some connection to Mega Evolution… and there was also a big tournament taking place there soon.

 _We'll have to hurry there, then,_ he thought.

Almost like she was reading his thoughts, Diantha turned around for a glance at the door. "Good heavens, we've been here for longer than I'd planned for," she murmured, standing up from her chair. "I'm afraid I must be getting back to work, but let's chat again sometime, yes?"

She slipped a hand into her purse and placed two objects on the table, then slid them toward Volan and Thrin. They were clearly meant to be worn around the wrist, like the cross-transceivers they'd used in Unova.

"What are these?" asked Thrin, examining the one nearest her.

"Holo-casters," explained Diantha. "I assume you wouldn't have one, being from Unova. They use holographic technology for communication between friends, or for urgent news broadcasts."

Holographic technology, huh? Interested, Volan picked his up and turned it over in his hands curiously. That meant it was yet another device invented by Lysandre Labs. He was a busy man, it seemed, inventing all these tools to make people's lives better…

"I'm giving them to you so it'll be easier for us to keep in touch," Diantha went on, raising her hand and tapping the holo-caster on her own wrist. "If either of us learns anything about Team Flare, we can notify one another."

Giving her an odd look, Thrin replied, "Not that I'm not grateful for the gift, but why us?"

A somewhat shrewd, not to mention ever so slightly amused, expression was what she got from the Champion in return. "Well, I just figured… you've saved the world once before, right? You're the best people I know to keep in the loop about this."

She sent them a wink. "For now, though, I must bid you _adieu_ ," she said, waving politely. "I travel around Kalos as part of my job, so I hope we run into one another again."

"Same," Thrin replied, waving back. "And thanks!"

"Best wishes, then," Volan said, raising his hand as his own farewell.

Her trench coat and mirrored lenses back on, Diantha exited through the door with a jingle from the bell hanging above the doorway.

"We should probably get going as well," Thrin said, pushing her chair back so she could stand up properly. "This place is going to open soon and I don't want to have to fight my way past a horde of people just to get out."

"Let's go, then," Volan responded. "Edgar, Piper, Majesty, you all done eating?"

The three fliers turned to him and all replied in the affirmative.

"Good," he approved, nodding. "You can stay out of your Poke Balls for now, if you want. I'd like to stop and train when we reach Route 5. Majesty, we should do some basic battle training, and Piper, we need to continue working on your moves."

The Combee simply nodded dutifully, while the Fletchinder nonchalantly flicked her head and didn't do much else. When he bent slightly to expose his shoulder, she fluttered onto it and clutched it comfortably in her claws, while Edgar took his other shoulder.

Thrin followed his lead, allowing Akuma a position atop her head and Claire her usual spot inside of her backpack. After gathering his things, Trevor also opted to keep Charmander out by clutching the Lizard Pokemon to his chest, but when he tried to return Flabébé, she deftly dodged each attempt to reabsorb her back into the Poke Ball. Finally he gave up and let Flabébé resume floating just beside his cheek, clicking her miniscule tongue in an almost scolding manner.

"Now that we've got the whole family with us," Volan started with a grin, "let's head out. The entrance to Route 5 should be nearby."

"Holo-caster?" Thrin questioned. She held her wrist up to her brother, showing off the device securely wrapped around it next to her cross-transceiver.

He nodded to confirm that yes, he did have his own holo-caster with him, flashing his own wrist so that she could see it clearly.

"Calem and the others are probably on their way to Camphrier Town by now," Trevor noted, placing his hands in his pockets.

"Isn't that where Professor Sycamore said we might learn some things about Mega Evolution?" wondered Thrin, a finger held to her chin.

Volan frowned a little, realizing something that he hadn't bothered to give much thought to until now. "We know that Calem, Tierno, and Shauna took off from the lab as a group," he muttered, "but was Serena with them?"

His question was met with negative answers from both Thrin and Trevor. It was his sister who elaborated, "She left with someone else while you were still resting in bed this morning. I didn't see who it was."

"And I never caught his name," Trevor admitted. "But he did help the rest of us – he went with Sina to save Garchomp while everyone else fought those Team Flare grunts."

 _Curious,_ thought Volan, but he wasn't going to worry too much about it right now, when they needed to get some training done on Route 5 _and_ make it to Camphrier Town by the end of the day. Maybe he'd ask Serena about it next time they met up with her.

The trio and their respective Pokemon walked out of the café and into the lively morning air of southern Lumiose City. After checking a holographic map on the side of the road, they adjusted their course for the southwestern exit, which would lead them to their next destination on the road to the Kalos League.

-.-.-.-.-.

A conspicuous spot of darkness amidst the brightly lit plaza, Sera shaded her eyes against the sun as she gazed up at the mighty apex of Prism Tower. According to what she'd heard, this was where the Gym was.

This was perfect. Skroop and Nigel were powerful enough to take on whatever Pokemon this leader had, based on how they'd thrashed Viola's Bug-types only a short time ago. She could walk out of this city with another badge and focus on moving as far away from home as she could.

 _Are you sure about this, My Lady?_ Nigel telepathically asked her.

"Why wouldn't I be sure?" she deadpanned.

He flinched, as if her complete lack of emotion was a sign that he had to tread carefully. _It's barely been a day since we earned our first badge, and we haven't had any time to prepare?_

"We squashed Viola like a bug last time, so I'd say we're more than ready," Sera replied. "And if we lose, we have more than enough time to train and then try again."

"Rupi," agreed Skroop, comfortable in her arms.

"Any other objections?" she questioned the Inkay.

 _Um… n-no, My Lady. If you believe we can win, than I'm behind you,_ he responded.

The girl clad entirely in black swept her long bangs out of her face and stalked towards the entrance to Prism Tower, which was shaded by the overhang on which the Pokemon League symbol was displayed. She immediately felt cooler and more comfortable once she was out of the sun.

The hallway beyond the doorway was perfectly silent, save for the quiet humming of electricity through tubes on the walls and floor. The sounds of Sera's shoes clacking against the floor echoed in the comfortingly dark space as she proceeded to the other side of the corridor.

When she stopped walking and stood before the closed doors, there was once again no sound aside from that of the electrified tubes – until a monitor buzzed to life and a synthesized robotic voice spoke calmly through the building's speaker system.

"Welcome. To the Lumiose Gym. Are you. A challenger, miss?" it asked.

"Yes," was all Sera said. She glowered at the screen.

The voice asked another question. "How many badges have you earned?"

Her usual neutral façade cracked a tiny bit, giving way to slight confusion. She didn't understand why that was relevant. At last, she suspiciously answered, "One…"

"One badge?"

Starting to feel the familiar anger bubbling inside of her, Sera spoke with strained annoyance, "Is that a prob–"

"In order to challenge. The Lumiose Gym, Trainers must have accumulated. At least five Gym badges."

Sera stared dumbly at the screen, along with her Pokémon, before the anger flickered in her orbs once more. "That has got to be the most ridiculous thing I've ever –"

"Please. Leave immediately."

Mechanical arms extended from the walls, and Skroop and Nigel quivered nervously, not liking this current development.

"Have a. Nice day."

"Hold on, what are y– EEEEYAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

PAIN.

A strangled screech tore its way out of Sera's throat as electricity shot through her body, dropping her to her knees. When the light and the worst of it had faded, her muscles still throbbed with excruciating pain like they'd all been seared by white-hot fire. She wasn't even aware of her arms and legs giving out underneath her, at least until her collision with the hard floor sent another starburst of agony exploding through her. Groaning, she let herself go limp in an instinctive effort to minimize the pain as much as possible, barring the occasional twitch from her overstimulated muscles.

There was a whirr as the floor underneath her sank slightly, to be replaced with a moving pathway that slowly carried her back toward the door. Lying face-down on the ground as she was, Sera found that the constant hum of the pathway as it moved came right next to her ear, drilling deeper into her skull with every passing second.

After what felt like forever, she heard the hissing of the automatic doors opening. She was faintly aware of sunlight providing a painful glare from out of the corner of her eye, before a part of the moving path tipped upwards to dump her unmoving form unceremoniously outside the Gym.

"We hope you. Enjoyed your stay. At the Lumiose. Gym."

And with that ironic farewell – was it _mocking_ her? – the doors then slid shut, leaving Sera on the pavement outside.

Her Pokemon moved close to her, making concerned noises as they examined her for signs of life. They got them a minute later, when the De Lis girl firmly planted her hands on the ground and used them to push herself onto her knees, determinedly ignoring the sudden intensifying of the aches plaguing her bones.

Sera's mouth trembled as she fought to keep the rising tide of pent-up fury inside where it belonged. It wouldn't do to blow up for the second time in almost as many days. No… she'd keep it contained. She had to save it, for… for when it was needed.

She sucked in a deep breath, and then let it out again. When she was finished, she opened her eyes, her pale face the very picture of eerie calm.

"Let's go," Sera ordered, the undertones of restrained anger in her voice making her two Pokemon snap to attention and follow.

Every step away from Prism Tower made her legs scream for mercy. On top of that, she could still feel a faint burning sensation everywhere else on her body – her nerves were taking a long time to recover from being flash-fried like that, no doubt. And she thought she smelled burning hair… she stopped in her tracks, frowning, and repeatedly patted her head to see if it felt hot enough to be her own that was burning.

"Skoru rupi," chittered Skroop, trying to reassure her.

 _Are you mad, My Lady, for not being able to challenge the Gym at this time?_ inquired Nigel.

Scoffing, she completely ignored him. She was just going to pretend that the overly-concerned Inkay hadn't just asked an incredibly stupid question.

 _Do not worry,_ the Dark-and-Psychic-type continued his attempt to keep her mediated. _All we have to do is earn four more Gym badges. Should be easy, I think._

"Oh, we'll earn those badges," Sera growled lowly. She continued forward, fighting the urge to wince at the sudden spike of pain through her calves. "And when we do, I am going to _personally_ rip the Gym Leader's arms off."

As she expressed her desire for vengeance in this way, Sera was faintly aware that she was passing by another Trainer. He was blond with enormous glasses and a jumpsuit, and Sera noted that he appeared oddly pale and shaky. She brushed that detail off and gave it no further thought, however. All nerds probably acted like that when they tore themselves away from their computer screens and went out in public.

It was only when she had left Centrico Plaza completely and turned onto another street that she paused. There was a trio of teenagers ahead, undoubtedly Trainers from the look of them, heading in what she thought was the direction of Route 5. Didn't the one in front seem vaguely familiar? She might have seen him recently…

Oh yes, that was it. Her parting words to that Thrin girl came floating back to her – " _Convince him to come along so you'd have something to look at on your journey, did you?_ "

So it was that other boy, the one who she couldn't help reluctantly admitting to herself that she found somewhat attractive, that she had first seen associating with the Gureis. But he wasn't accompanied by them now – no, it seemed as though he had a pair of his own traveling companions.

She shrugged disinterestedly. If they were both on a journey to the Kalos League, chances are they'd meet again. With a shake of her black hair, she turned around to move on –

"Excuse me?" she heard his voice call. "Didn't I see you before at the Flair Café?"

 _Damn_. Sera gritted her teeth. Did she really look like the kind of person that had the time or patience to socialize with every random stranger she passed by?

She turned around to spit out the scalding remark already forming on her tongue, only to swallow it when she saw the familiar boy and his two unknown partners coming to a stop in front of her.

Well _shit_. She hadn't expected him to be more handsome up close.

Her temper flared, and she had to close her eyes and stamp it down again. _Stop distracting me, stupid teenage hormones._

"What do you want?" she managed to ask in a perfectly neutral tone. Good, she'd gotten a handle on herself. Inwardly, she allowed herself to relax.

"Oh, is this a friendibuzz of yours, Calem?" asked the shortest of the three, the brown-haired girl that looked something like an unusually cheerful Gothorita.

Sera answered for her, "We've met. But you didn't answer my question. What do you want?"

The boy – Calem – was unsure as he lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "I don't know, I just thought I recognized you from the café earlier today. Sera, was it?"

"Yes," she agreed, deciding to at least give him that bit of information so he'd get off of her back.

 _Oh, but you'd like him on your back, wouldn't you,_ that traitorous, basal part of her mind mockingly spoke.

 _Shut up shut up SHUT UP,_ her rational side inwardly roared at it.

Maintaining her neutral face, Sera glared at the three and began to turn away. "So if we're all done here, I'd rather spend my time traveling than wasting it chatting."

"You're on a journey, too? Crawdauntsome!" the Gothorita-like girl squealed, making Sera pause.

 _They're not going to leave me alone that easily, are they…?_ she thought with a sigh. And she was starting to recognize the one with the Pokemon puns, as well – another acquaintance of the Gurei siblings. _Small world_.

"Yes I am," she confirmed. "Now bug off."

"Skorrrrrr," hissed Skroop.

"Kay Inkay!" Nigel seconded.

That, apparently, was not enough to deter Calem and the two others, who frowned. The last one, the Snorlax-looking kid, spoke up concernedly, "All alone? Man, that's no way to go on a journey, is it? Seems like kind of a waste when you could be traveling with friends…"

"Trust me," Sera told him, allowing a biting edge into her voice, "the silence makes it all worth it."

"Tierno's right," Calem said with a frown. "Are you sure you're okay with spending all your time by yourself? It doesn't seem the healthiest way to go."

"I've never been so sure of that decision as I am now," Sera retorted evenly, and it was the complete truth.

Calem smiled slightly as if that was somehow amusing. "Well, you're always welcome to come along with us if you feel you need company."

 _…_ _What._

Humming thoughtfully, Shauna replied, "Well, it'd be good for Calem and Tierno to have someone else to train regularly with, if they're hoping to get eight Gym badges…"

The largest one, Tierno, took another look at Sera and grimaced ever so slightly. "Am I the only one with reservations about this idea?"

"No, you're not," Sera told him, dryly.

But inwardly, she wasn't so sure. Despite her claims, she was in fact thinking that such an idea wasn't so bad. As much as that Shauna girl annoyed her, she had a good point – having infinite access to someone able to help her train Nigel and Skroop (as well as infinite legitimate opportunities to take out her frustrations in battle) was a major plus.

Again, her mind went back to what she had taunted to Thrin, highlighting another 'plus'. " _Convince him to come along so you'd have something to look at on your journey, did you?_ "

Unfortunately, if she was crazy enough to accept the offer, there'd be a single downside. That is, constant social interaction, experience with which she was very lacking in after twelve years of having no human company other than the Nurse Joy at the Pokemon Center and her own mother, although calling that alcoholic nightmare of a woman 'human' was a huge stretch…

Inevitably thinking back to their last _interaction_ was making Sera's temper rise again. More harshly than she intended, she folded her arms and growled, "Your offer is tempting, but no. Now if you'll _excuse me_ …"

"How about we battle for it?" suggested Calem, further irritating Sera with that charmingly inoffensive smile of his. "I win, you get to come along with us and we help each other improve for the Kalos League."

Glaring from behind her bangs, the dark girl snorted, "And if I win, you stop pestering me for good. Skroop, let's crush him."

"Skorrrrrru!" the shiny Skorupi cried with savage approval.

But come ten minutes later…

As she forced the bubbling cauldron of fury down yet again, Sera was clenching her jaw hard enough to almost shatter her teeth as she recalled the fainted Skroop to his Poke Ball. She looked up and darkly met Calem's eyes, which were crinkled at the edges as he smiled amusedly. Shauna was wearing an inappropriately large grin, and only Tierno looked the least bit serious.

"First of all," she muttered to her three new traveling companions, "just to clear things up, I hate all of you. And second of all, this does NOT automatically make us friends."

She silently glowered at their backs as they led the way back down the street. Oh, she'd find a way to get them back for this…

-.-.-.-.-.

 **I am so sorry for the lack of updates this past month. My motivations to write took a steep dive, and I kept trying to get it back but I always ended up watching movies with my family or playing video games instead. Hopefully, though, that's all in the past, and I can keep writing this story as normal.**

 **You know, it wasn't until I wrote that one line about dragons eating Mareep that I realized that could be why Ampharos becomes a Dragon-type when it Mega Evolves – to defend the flock. *mind blown***

 **Meanwhile, looks like Sera's continuing on her journey while the Gureis chillax, and has formed an uneasy alliance with Calem and Co. How will this affect their journey to the Kalos League? Hopefully it won't end with someone's throat being slit in their sleep…**

 **Diantha: "Review please."**

 **Next chapter:** **Toby or Not Toby**

 **Chapter Question #18: Who's your favorite Champion in the series?**

 **For me, the Champion of Alola. It's YOU (the player).**

 **-.-.-.-.-.**

 **Volan's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Edgar (Murkrow, male)  
** **Ability: Super Luck**

 **Piper (Fletchinder, female)  
** **Ability: Flame Body**

 **Majesty (Combee, female)  
** **Ability: Honey Gather**

 **Thrin's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Akuma (Vivillon, male)  
** **Ability: Compound Eyes**

 **Claire (Froakie, female, shiny)  
** **Ability: Protean**

 **Sera's Team** **:  
** **Skroop (Skorupi, male, shiny)  
** **Ability: Sniper**

 **Nigel (Inkay, male)  
** **Ability: Contrary**


	25. Toby or Not Toby

**_Chapter 23 – Toby or Not Toby_**

 **Last time on "Flight of a Legend"…**

 **The suspicious stranger that approached Volan and the others after Thrin's battle, in fact, turned out to be Diantha, the Champion of Kalos. She had heard of Volan and Thrin due to their heroic deeds in Unova. After chatting with her for a while, they learned more about Mega Evolution and acquired holo-casters through which they could communicate with Diantha in the future. Meanwhile, Sera tried and failed to challenge the Lumiose Gym, and ended up reluctantly tagging along with Calem and his friends…**

-.-.-.-.-.

"That's it, Piper!" encouraged Volan, calling up to the Fire-and-Flying-type that now soared high above him. "Now use Peck on the way down!"

Piper, who had previously boosted her speed with Agility, folded her wings and came down from her lofty height so fast that white lines of disturbed air could be seen around her. Her beak flashed with light and then dimmed to a steady glow, and she rammed it home into the tree branch she'd been aiming for.

The branch, already half-broken and weighed down with berries, snapped easily from the force of Piper's Peck attack. It thumped to the ground, scattering its fruits everywhere. Piper let out a tweeting victory call, and Claire hopped out of Thrin's arms to gather up some berries to pop in her mouth.

"Great work!" Volan complimented Piper as she settled down to rest atop the broken branch. "I think we're getting better with the teamwork, definitely, and you seem to be executing your moves much more easily."

"Fletchindah," Piper replied, appearing flippant but obviously pleased.

"There still seems to be room for improvement, though," continued Volan, thinking back to how he'd commanded her in their training session. She still seemed to hesitate whenever he ordered a move, like the trust between Pokemon and Trainer wasn't wholly there.

"It'll be fine," Thrin assured him, picking up on his inner doubts. "All you two need to do is work a little harder and spend some more time improving, and you'll be working like a proper team in no time at all."

"She's right," Trevor agreed. "Why not teach Piper a new move? That could really help the two of you get more in sync with each other."

That was a very good idea, so Volan nodded, "Thanks, Trevor. I'm sure I have a technical machine or two that could be helpful."

Technical machines, or TMs for short, were useful devices that provided additional knowledge for Pokemon attempting to learn moves that would otherwise never come naturally to them, or be simply difficult to master. For example, not all Fire-type Pokemon could learn Flame Charge in the wild, but with the help of a TM, they could be taught to manipulate their flames in a way to utilize the speedy move.

Reaching a hand into his backpack, Volan dug out his collection of TMs. It had expanded since his time in Unova, many of which had been bought in Aquacorde Town or won in local tournaments. Seaching through them, the Gurei boy managed to find a handful that might end up being useful.

"Here's a few," he commented, which prompted Piper to fly down to land in the dirt next to him. "Let's see… Steel Wing and Acrobatics will be easy, because according to my books, Fletchinder can learn them just through regular battle experience. But here's an interesting one."

He held up the dark-colored disc, its surface reflecting sunlight as he turned it around in his hand. "It's called Thief. It's a moderately powerful Dark-type move. We could catch some foes off guard with this move, and even steal any items they could be holding."

Giving Pokemon items to hold in battle wasn't a very common strategy, but he'd seen the odd Focus Sash or Quick Claw in official battles on television. Not to mention, some Pokemon like Conkeldurr and Marowak actually wielded weapons – Piper might be able to steal those as well. And now that he knew Mega Evolution was a thing, and might turn out to be something he'd face in the future, he'd like to see if this move could be a way to prevent it from happening at all.

He relayed his reasoning to Piper, who agreed with him. She wouldn't mind a move that'd allow her to hit more types for super-effective damage, and she seemed intrigued when he mentioned they could test out whether or not they could steal Mega Stones with it mid-battle.

"Dang," remarked Thrin. "That's smart. I hadn't even thought of that. Will it work?"

"Only one way to find out," Volan answered. "Let's start practicing right away, Piper!"

"Chindaaaaah~!" Piper sang enthusiastically, wheeling into the air to get herself ready for more training.

"Hey, Edgar," Volan called out to the Murkrow, who was perched in a nearby tree. "Can you help Piper learn this move? You're the only Dark-type we've got on hand, so you could teach her how to harness and wield the energy properly."

That made sense to Edgar, who had been about to protest that he didn't know the move in question himself. But getting a non-Dark-type to get a feel for the energy involved wouldn't be too hard, he reasoned. He spread his wings and joined Piper in the air for their next training exercise. Both he and Volan gave the Fletchinder their own bits of advice – Volan reading the instructions displayed in his Pokedex upon slotting in the TM, and Edgar drawing from his own experiences.

"Well, while you guys do that," Thrin said, walking over to another portion of the field they were staying in, "I'm going to do some training with Claire! Now that she's officially my Pokemon, I want to see what she can really do!"

"Froak!" Claire agreed instantly, launching herself out of Thrin's backpack and landing on the ground in front of her.

"I'll battle you if you want," Trevor offered. "I haven't really battled with Flabébé yet, so I'll use her."

The tiny Fairy-type was delighted to hear that she'd get to battle, and quickly zipped into position.

Quickly, the portion of field they had settled themselves in on Route 5 had become a frenzy of action. Volan was off by himself, calling out instructions and words of encouragement to Piper whenever she failed to pull off the new attack or made an improvement. Beside him, Majesty the Combee watched with interest as the two birds and their Trainer worked tirelessly. Elsewhere, though still nearby, Thrin and Trevor had a quick mock battle with Claire and Flabébé in order to get used to using them in battle.

When they were finished, they went back to watch Volan continue to train Piper. It still seemed as though Piper was struggling with her new move. The Gurei boy encouraged her to aim for the umpteenth tree branch in a row and attack it once more with Thief. As the two bystanders watched, the Fletchinder streaked forward, then threw out her talons at the last minute to strike the tree branch. It snapped off no problem and joined the broken twigs of various sizes now littering the ground around the tree, but there had only been the barest spark of Dark-type energy there.

"Alright, you're getting the hang of it!" Volan encouraged. "Only a few more tries, and we'll probably get it!"

"Fletch," Piper scoffed softly. " _'Probably', he says._ "

Edgar flew over and flicked her on the beak with a talon. " _Ay, enough of dat negativity. Maintainin' a positive attitude keeps things serendipitous, see?_ "

"If you're going to keep practicing," Thrin cupped her hands around her mouth and called over to her brother and his Pokemon, "you should do it on a different tree. At the rate you're going, it's going to run out of limbs."

To see what she meant, Volan cast his gaze over at the tree he'd been having Piper strike at, and only now saw how many of its branches had been clipped and fallen to the ground. Wincing at its pitiful state and nodding understandingly, the Gurei boy motioned for his fliers to come along as he retrieved his things and went over to join back up with Thrin and Trevor.

"I think we should keep going," the latter stated, slinging his camera around his neck. "We still have a ways to travel before we hit Camphrier Town."

"That's true," agreed Volan. "Piper, we'll continue our training later, okay?"

The Fire-and-Flying-type flicked her head to show she understood before being drawn back into her Poke Ball.

"And Majesty," Volan added, "We'll find time to train too, don't worry."

She bowed slightly and allowed herself to be reabsorbed as well. That only left Edgar, who comfortably settled down on his master's shoulder with a contented caw.

Thrin returned Akuma and Claire while Trevor did the same with Charmander, but once again, Flabébé refused to comply. She darted around the red streams of light and stuck to the orange-haired boy's neck first chance she got, prompting a sigh out of him.

Smiling with amusement, Volan and Thrin waited until the resigned Trevor had walked into the middle of them to continue their journey. They strolled at a leisurely pace down the dirt path, passing by patches of tall grass and trees, and felt the terrain starting to slope gradually upward as they progressed farther into Route 5. At one point, when they were about halfway up the first hill, Volan happened to glance to his side and noticed what looked like a roller-skating park off in the distance.

They stopped to rest once they'd reached the first plateau, but from the looks of things, there were still several more upward inclines to traverse. Fortunately, the hilly landscape was supposed to drop back down when they got close to the next town. That would make the last leg of their hike a little more bearable.

But only moments after they started up their former pace and were about to work on climbing the next hill, the sound of an explosion reached their ears. Smoke suddenly rose into the air from beyond the crest of the hill, closely enough for the acrid smell to reach their noses quickly.

"Ordinary battle, or trouble?" asked Thrin.

"I suppose we're going to have to find out for ourselves either way," replied Volan. He led the way up the next incline.

When they got to the top, taking their final steps at a run, they saw what all the commotion was about. It was indeed an ordinary battle – that is, it _would_ have been if it weren't for the participants. On one side was a completely unremarkable-looking Trainer, who brought out his Poke Ball to reclaim a fainted mammalian Pokemon with a ringed tail. But the other Trainer was what really made him stop and look twice. It was none other than his dear old chum Toby, who had his arms crossed and a victorious grin plastered on his smug face while another unfamiliar Pokemon stood at his heels.

"I won and you lost!" Toby crowed. "Sorry, kid, but you're going to have to get a lot stronger than that if you want to beat me!"

The Trainer seemed to shudder for a second, fighting back either a sob or a protest, and then took his Poke Ball and went off down the hill, in the same direction from whence Volan and his companions had come.

Toby did a comical double take when he saw that he had more company – or it might have been comical if Volan wasn't already scowling at the sight of his arch-nemesis. The shock quickly disappeared from Toby's face, though, and he pulled up his baggy pants with an ecstatic grin.

"Well hey, it's Bird Brain and his pals!" the greasy-haired teenaged Trainer called out with a casual wave hello. "Did you see me completely dice that big-talker? Pfft, and he thinks he has what it takes to win the Kalos League."

"And _you_ do?" challenged Volan, arcing a skeptical eyebrow. "Speaking of talking big…"

A flash of irritation briefly darkened Toby's otherwise inoffensive smile. "Um, _duh_. Don't you remember, I beat you last time we fought! If a Shelmet like you can make it into a League, then I can win it easy-peasy."

Abruptly, Toby blinked and studied Volan more carefully, apparently only really noticing him as of now – or at least, what was different about him. "No way, since when did you wear a cast? Broke your arm, Bird Brain?"

"Don't give me that mock sympathy," he snapped at his nemesis. "And if you're going for the Kalos League, you'll find it an uphill battle if you go about it with that cocky attitude of yours."

"Last I checked, you need badges to enter a League in the first place," Thrin pointed out. "Earned any of those lately?"

Their hopes of watching Toby deflate like a Qwilfish were immediately dashed when he did the opposite in response to Thrin's challenge, puffing his chest out with pride as he thrust out a badge case containing a sparkling Bug Badge.

"Got this from Santalune City only a couple of days ago," he bragged shamelessly. "Bug Badge, losers. And if that's the best Kalos has to offer, I can make it as far as Championhood with both arms tied behind my back!"

"You're like a Drifblim, Toby," Volan smirked. "Full of hot air."

Matching his smirk perfectly, Toby retorted, "You must be dumber than I thought to be spouting bullcrap to someone stronger than you. Guess I have to beat some sense into you just like back when we were kids, huh?"

He held out a Poke Ball, an unmistakable invitation to battle. "Come on, Bird Brain," he taunted. "I'll even let you choose one of your sad little friends to fight me with in a double battle. That way at least your misery will have company!"

Wordlessly, Volan turned to Thrin and Trevor. He knew that neither of them had a very high opinion of the jerk in front of him, so he wasn't surprised to see that both had equally fierce expressions that promised a world of pain for Toby if they got picked to battle.

When Volan looked at her, Thrin took a determined step forward. "Come on, Volan, let's go. You know that he doesn't stand a chance against our teamwork."

But Trevor seemed adamant as well – in fact, more so than even the times he'd helped them battle the Team Flare grunts.

"Trevor?" he asked the other boy. "I've fought with Thrin plenty of times before, but do you want to give it a go?"

"Y-Yes!" Trevor replied. Normally his eyes were wide with worry, but now he had narrowed them determinedly. "I might not be training hard for the Kalos League like you and Thrin, but I'll do my best!"

That decision made, Volan and Trevor stood side-by-side and prepared to face their unsavory foe. Seeing that his opponents were apparently ready, Toby grinned with anticipation and backed off a considerable distance so that their Pokemon would have plenty of room. He slouched slightly when he got into position, tossing his chosen Poke Ball from hand to hand with casual confidence. To him, the winner of this battle had already been decided. He wouldn't be losing to Bird Brain or the pipsqueak beside him.

"Here's my first Pokemon!" Toby declared, lobbing the capsule.

It opened up with a rush of blue light to reveal a Pokemon Volan recognized immediately on sight – a Timburr. It was a greyish Fighting-type with a large nose and cocksure smirk, and it carried around a hefty log that served as its main weapon. This one looked exceptionally strong, though, if Volan's memory of the other well-trained Timburr he'd fought in the past was still intact.

"Wallop here is one of the best Pokemon I've found in Kalos!" boasted Toby. "And my other Pokemon might not have a perfect win streak like he does, but it's still plenty powerful enough to take _you_ down, Bird Brain."

Dramatically, Toby stuck out his arm and pointed straight at Volan and Trevor. "Go and get 'em, Gulp!"

The unusual Pokemon that had been with Toby before waved its leaves and moved forward with a series of strange, swaying strides. Its stem-like body wiggled with every move, making its bright yellow head look dangerously unbalanced, but it never once lost control. Small bruises and cuts could be seen marring various parts of its body, probably from the battle it had won just prior to this. It appeared to be a Grass-type of some sort, but Volan wasn't sure. He took out his Pokedex and pointed it at the thing.

With a whir as it expanded, the computerized encyclopedia confirmed, " **Bellsprout. _Insectivora mandragora_. A Grass-and-Poison-type Flower Pokemon. One of the first plant-like Grass-types discovered with the ability to use its roots as feet, Bellsprout was at first the subject of much scientific debate over whether or not it was plant or animal. It was even said to be related to the mythical mandrake plant before it was officially classified. Bellsprout is highly toxic and produces acid that it is able to spit at its prey. It catches insects blindingly fast, and uses this same acid to digest them. Its body is extremely skinny, but it uses its flexible form to its greatest advantage when avoiding attacks. Specimen is female with a power level of sixteen. Known moves: Vine Whip, Growth, Wrap, Poison Powder. Ability: Chlorophyll.** "

"Beeeeeellsprout," she moaned out in an odd voice that somehow matched her constantly wiggling stem perfectly.

"See?" laughed Toby. "Even after battling that wimp from earlier, Gulp is still good to go! Now let's see what dumb Pokemon you've got for me to pummel this time, Bird Brain. Unless you want to Shelmet out of here."

Gritting his teeth at the vile Unovan insult, Volan took a ball of his own from his belt. "Let's show no mercy, Piper!" he cried.

She appeared with a dramatic flash of her wings and fearsome cry, small embers sparkling around her before burning out instantly. Her keen eyes narrowed upon sighting the two Pokemon before her, instantly understanding that this was a proper battle. She'd fight with all she had to prove her strength to these ignorant new opponents!

"F-Flabébé!" called Trevor. "You fight too, a-alright?"

The Fairy-type that floated close to his shoulder appeared delighted at the chance to battle, and she fluttered forward with a soft, excited squeak. When she got into position, she clutched her flower while it bobbed back and forth with a sudden energy, born from her eagerness to fight on her Trainer's behalf.

"V-Volan," Trevor said, drawing the Gurei boy's attention briefly. "Flabébé has an advantage against that Timburr, so can you have Piper focus on the Bellsprout?"

"Got it," Volan replied.

While they were strategizing, Toby was taking the time to assess the Pokemon he was now up against. To say he was underwhelmed would have been an understatement.

"Oh _man_!" he barked out a laugh. "Classic, Volan, just classic. Another stupid bird and a girly little pixie the size of my nose! You never fail to disappoint, do you?"

Now it was Volan's turn to give Toby a taunt. "If you're scared, Toby, we won't think any less of you if you run away. Then we'll know who the real Shelmet is around here."

That did it, exactly as he thought it would. Toby's eyes blazed, any semblance of fake politeness and nonchalance wiped away to make way for anger. Enough was enough, now was the time to get serious.

"Wallop, Gulp, show these idiots what happens when they mouth off to us! And don't you _dare_ lose!" he bellowed.

"Burr!" the Timburr, Wallop, grunted as he streaked forward with his log held at the ready.

"Beeeell!" cried Gulp, a pair of vines sprouting from just behind her head and shooting forward.

"That looks like Low Sweep and Vine Whip!" warned Volan.

"R-Right!" Trevor stammered, who resisted flinching in fright. "Flabébé, d-dodge it!"

However, the ever-nervous boy's command came too late. He'd wasted precious time being surprised, and both Piper and Flabébé were slammed by the attacks. Wallop's log swung through the air and smashed into Piper's wing with a dull *thwack*, causing the Fire-and-Flying-type to flutter awkwardly while a blue aura flashed around her, and Gulp's vines lashed at Flabébé one at a time, dealing a duo of blows that left her reeling.

"Suck it, wimps!" Toby crowed. "Wallop, hit the bird with your Rock Throw! Gulp, poison the fairy!"

Gritting his teeth, Volan remembered that Low Sweep tended to hit the opposing Pokemon in a way that decreased its speed, which was exactly what he'd witnessed happen to Piper. Fortunately, though…

"Get back up to speed with your Agility!" he yelled.

"Fleeeet-chindaaaah!" cried Piper. She now glowed red as she boosted her speed stat, suddenly regaining the proper use of her wing. She sped away in time to avoid the heavy stone that the Timburr lobbed at her, soaring into the deep blue sky above.

Meanwhile, Gulp's bulb-shaped head inflated like a balloon, and she opened her mouth to forcefully exhale a dense cloud of dark purple dust at Flabébé. Based on the volatile bubbles spontaneously forming and popping within the mixture, it definitely had toxic properties.

"Use Fairy Wind to disperse it, Flabébé!" called Trevor.

"Fla bey!" she chirped, and sent a fierce, sparkling gust at the Poison Powder that tore it apart in only a second.

Now, it was time for the counterattack. "Piper, give that Timburr a taste of your Peck!" Volan ordered.

"And Flabébé, hit the Bellsprout with Tackle!" Trevor added.

The two Pokemon struck as one – Piper rocketing down from the skies to ram her glowing beak into Wallop's chest while Flabébé steered her flower solidly into Gulp's head, the only part of the gangly plant she could reliably attack. Both enemy Pokemon cringed and fell to their knees, but didn't go down.

"Strength and Wrap!" commanded Toby.

Shaking off the damage they'd sustained, Wallop and Gulp sprang into action. The Fighting-type swung his log again, but this time it was outlined with a thin red aura to indicate its strength… no pun intended. The Grass-and-Poison-type once again extended a pair of vines, but the way they coiled on their way toward Flabébé showed their intention of crushing rather than whipping.

"Counter with Peck!" Volan shouted.

At the same time, Trevor cried, "Use your Vine Whip!"

Piper's beak flashed with light, and she did a swift loop in the air so that she could meet Wallop's timber at exactly the opposite angle from which it was swung. The resulting impact generated enough force to actually tear the weapon from Wallop's grasp, while Piper flew past him and curved upwards to soar back into the sky, having barely lost any momentum from the collision.

Flabébé unleashed two of her own vines from the flower she rode on, shrieking a high-pitched note as she sent them at her foe without mercy. Her vines and Gulp's vines met halfway and spiraled around each other, soon becoming tightly entangled as the two furiously tugged against the other.

"Piper, help Flabébé get the upper hand!" Volan directed.

"Don't let them do that!" countered Toby, appearing frustrated at the helpless situation he was in. "Wallop, get your log back and use Rock Throw before they can attack Gulp!"

Luckily for the Timburr, his weapon hadn't fallen far from him when Piper had attacked. As the Fletchinder let out a strident cry, snapping her wings closed and stooping down towards a preoccupied Gulp, he grabbed his log and immediately slammed it into the ground, causing decent-sized chunks of rock to fly up upon impact. With yet another swing of the log, the Fighting-type sent the stones – five in total – barreling toward Piper.

"Incoming on your left!" Volan warned her. "Use Ember on the ground!"

The air around the battlefield wavered as hot puffs of flaming gas struck the ground beneath Piper and heated up the area, producing an updraft that boosted her up out of the way of the flying rocks. Rather, they flew harmlessly into the grass around Flabébé and Gulp's struggle, exploding harmlessly into fading clouds of dust.

"Now, get that Bellsprout with Peck!" he shouted.

"Fleeeet… chindaaaaah!" shrieked Piper, and dive-bombed the sentient plant once again, this time with her beak taking on a deadly glow.

Flabébé released her vines with only a second to spare, allowing Gulp to let out a victorious cry and send her vines forward – before Piper plowed into her like an avian bullet, throwing her the length of the battlefield. With a strangled moan, the Flower Pokemon struggled to rise, feeling the injuries both from her battle now and from the one she'd previously waged.

"Arceus damnit, Gulp, I told you you're not allowed to lose!" Toby harshly chastised her. "Get up and use Wrap on the bird!"

"S-Sprooooout…" Gulp groaned, awkwardly wiggling her body into a proper standing position before unleashing her vines once more.

Too quickly for Piper to react, the green tendrils zipped past her and curled around her sides. Although her wings weren't bound, allowing her to hover, she was still stuck in place and couldn't move any farther away from Gulp. To make matters worse, the Wrap attack would do continuous damage over time as it constricted her, as evidenced by the way the area around her beak was starting to turn blue.

"That's it! Now let's give it a nice big Low Sweep as its reward for messing with us!" laughed Toby, like the bully he was.

"Timburr tim!" Wallop grunted, and ran forward with his log held high.

"Trevor!" called Volan.

"O-On it!" the orange-haired boy replied. "Flabébé, stop that Timburr with Tackle!"

The antagonistic sprite darted forward unusually quickly for something that should've been slowed down by wind resistance against her flower. Scowling ferociously at her opponent, Flabébé ducked her head and swooped down in preparation to ram herself into Wallop's gut.

The Muscular Pokemon acted on reflex, though, using his prepared attack to swat Flabébé away from him. Once she'd been repelled, Wallop concentrated once more on his previous target and moved to smack the trapped Piper.

At Volan's side, Edgar cawed in distress as he saw his teammate trapped with nowhere to avoid the incoming move. But he needn't have worried – Volan had a plan, observing shrewdly that Gulp's vines were currently stretched taut against a futilely-struggling Piper.

"Piper!" he yelled up to her, breaking her out of her growing panic. "Go straight toward it with Quick Attack!"

This time, there was no hesitation, no disobeying his orders. Piper was desperate at this point, with tight vines crushing her torso so that she could no longer breathe, and she knew that following Volan's command was the only way to get free.

Absorbing white light into her body, she threw her wings back to propel herself at Mach speed directly at the Bellsprout – who, in her stunned state, was completely unable to twist her flexible body away from it. Her vines instantly went slack from the shock of the impact, allowing the Fire-and-Flying-type to tackle her even farther across the field.

For only a second, Volan allowed himself a smile at her willingness to work with him in a time of crisis. They were getting better together, he was sure of it.

Free once again, Piper allowed herself a moment of rest to pant heavily and catch her breath. However, she wasn't safe yet, as Toby still had another Pokemon able to fight.

"Rock Throw!" he shouted.

Letting out a determined yell, eager to get payback from when she smacked away his prized timber, Wallop batted three good-sized stones at her, which whistled softly as they streaked forwards on their trajectories toward their mutual target. This time, Piper was in no position to avoid the massively dangerous Rock-type move.

But luckily, Volan wasn't alone in this fight.

"Flabébé, destroy them with your Fairy Wind!" ordered Trevor, taking the initiative now that Volan and his Pokemon were in danger.

"Laaaaa-BEY!" shrieked Flabébé. With a wave of her flower, she conjured a wave of sparkling air that slammed against the incoming rocks and shattered them to dust.

Gritting his teeth, Toby appeared hesitant. No matter his boasting and his insistence on an easy victory, his opponents were powerful and wouldn't make things easy for him. The solution was obviously more power, then overwhelm them with the sheer strength of his Pokemon.

"Growth and Bulk Up!" he snapped at the combatants.

Both Gulp and Wallop were encased in a rising red aura, with the former stretching to a couple of inches taller in height while the latter flexed his muscles and made them bulge. Now with increased attack power, they were in the perfect position to simply sweep Volan and Trevor's Pokemon as Toby had erroneously figured they'd be able to do from the start. Either he needed to put more work into training, or he just needed better Pokemon…

"Watch this, Bird Brain!" the bully shouted angrily to his would-be victim. "I'm about to show you what a weakling you are and always have been! Vine Whip and Strength, go!"

"Belllll!" Gulp moaned, shooting out her vines yet again.

"Burrrrr!" hollered Wallop, his log faintly glowing red.

Suddenly, a spark of anger flared up in Piper's eyes. This time _without_ Volan's urging, she launched herself forward at Wallop, emitting a terrifying war cry. "CHINDAAAAAH! _HI-YAAAAH!_ "

She threw one of her talons out in front of her as she approached the opposing Pokemon, and dark energy exploded out from the tips of her claws to engulf her foot like a purple glove. She kicked out at Wallop's log with a force that exploded violently around them, filling the immediate vicinity with black smoke. It was Piper who came flying out, with the addition of a rectangular object dangling from her still-glowing claws.

"Piper," Volan breathed her name, awed by the results of the flashy display. "We did it! You've learned to use Thief!"

"Chin fletch chindah. _Sorry about striking out on my own like that,_ " the Ember Pokemon apologized. Then, she dropped down to a hover right in front of her master and continued, this time perfectly legibly, " _I think I understand now. I should place my full trust in you from now on._ "

Initially shocked beyond belief that he was all of a sudden hearing Piper's voice loud and clear, Volan got over it quickly and drew strength from the realization of this newfound bond he'd formed with her. He grinned, knowing that there was no way he was going to let Toby beat him this time.

Speaking of which…

"Wh-What the… that, that Pokemon just stole Wallop's log!" Toby gaped, absolutely dumbfounded at this development. "That is not fair, dude! Since when did you start fighting dirty?"

"Legitimate attack, idiot," Volan bit out, the annoyance at his long-time rival coming back with a vengeance.

Face reddening, Toby's surprise gave way to anger as he retorted, "Well then, you're just asking for it at this point! Get his Pokemon with Rock Throw and Poison Powder!"

"Agility!" the Gurei boy shouted in reply.

"And you use Fairy Wind!" Trevor said to Flabébé.

Her body glowing red as her speed increased, Piper blurred out of view, dodging the stones that Wallop furiously tossed in her direction. However, the acceleration prevented her from stopping and changing direction right away when she saw the cloud of Poison Powder being exhaled directly in her path, and this caused her to fly right into it. She emerged from the purple dust with significantly clumsier wingbeats, eyes squeezed shut with pain as the poison made it into her system.

But before Toby could take advantage of the Fletchinder's weakened state, the Fairy Wind came tearing across the battlefield and slamming solidly into Wallop and Gulp. They both got up from the impact, but it was obvious from the way they staggered to their feet that their stamina was running out. Gulp was the most severely injured, carrying new wounds in addition to the ones she'd already been carrying into this bout.

"Don't tell me you can't handle a fairy and a bird!" Toby accused his Pokemon, outraged that he'd been driven into this corner instead of having won already. "Come on, you two, step up your game!"

Gulp moaned lowly and wobbled in place, her condition making it difficult for her to stay upright. Wallop had no such problem, even with the bruises and scratches covering his body, but without his piece of timber he was far less threatening.

"Use Rock Throw as cover!" demanded Toby. "Then use that to get your log back!"

"Burr burr Timburr!" cried the Fighting-type, forming several stones from orange-yellow energy gathered in his hands. The second he'd sent the rocks flying in all directions, but generally toward his foes, he dashed for the large piece of wood that now lay abandoned elsewhere on the battlefield.

As much as Volan wished he could direct Piper around the rocks and have her attack the Timburr, there was no way he could do so in such a short amount of time – he'd have to prioritize making sure she actually avoided the projectiles first. So he instructed her to dodge them, keeping one eye on the songbird Pokemon as she looped around the ballistic rocks while he kept the other trained on Wallop as he retrieved his weapon.

"Flabébé, use Tackle on that Bellsprout!" Trevor commanded.

However, while Wallop was currently preoccupied, Gulp was not. On Toby's orders, she retaliated with a Vine Whip that spun Flabébé back in the direction of her master, momentarily dazed from the strike. Then another set of vines coiled out with the intention of binding the smaller creature.

"Stop that Wrap attack with your Ember!" yelled Volan.

" _Help's on the way!_ " Piper chirped to her ally.

Swooping under the last of the rocks, she closed a bit of the distance between her and Flabébé and shot several fiery clouds at the Grass-and-Poison-type. The embers struck the extending vines in a number of spots along their lengths and immediately incinerated them to nothing, eliciting a squeal of pain from Gulp.

"Keep using Ember!" Volan continued.

"Don't get hit!" warned Toby.

Piper advanced on the Bellsprout, shooting puffs of fire from her beak. Despite her injuries, though, Gulp was still very nimble, able to twist her sinuous stem-like body out of the way regardless of how sluggish her movements had become.

With Piper taking care of the one Pokemon, Volan shot a significant look at Trevor and nodded. Picking up on his cue, the shorter boy took a step forward and called, "Hit the Timburr with your Fairy Wind!"

"Fla bey!" squeaked Flabébé in response.

The Single Bloom Pokemon swung her flower and conjured another wave of pixie dust that slammed into Wallop's back, right as he picked up his log and readied it to defend himself. Stung badly by the effective attack, he tumbled head-over-heels and just barely managed to stand again. His steps as he walked back into position were shaky and painful.

The same could not be said for Gulp, however.

With a blast of flame, one of Piper's bursts of fire connected with Gulp's head and exploded, sufficient to send the flytrap-like Pokemon down to the ground. Scorched and battered, she simply could no longer take the abuse and lay still.

Irritated to the point where a strangled growl of frustration made it through his gritted teeth, Toby recalled Gulp into her Poke Ball. "You're paying for that!" he swore to his opponents. "Wallop, crush them with your Strength!"

The Fighting-type held his log high over his head and charged, bellowing a war cry as he did so, his weapon infused with potent red light.

Somehow, Volan and Trevor together found the confidence to stand their ground and meet Toby's aggressive action unflinchingly. Perhaps it was the fact that the match had turned in their favor, and that their two Pokemon held greater collective power than the single one left on Toby's side.

"Tackle!" ordered Trevor.

"Peck!" Volan finished.

It was Flabébé that hit their last remaining opponent first, while Piper took the time to add additional force to her attack by flying up and gaining some altitude. The Fairy-type slammed into Wallop with enough strength to stagger him, but not stop him completely. That was when Piper struck next, her beak smashing against Wallop's chest and blazing past him as if he hadn't even been there. After receiving _this_ attack, the Pokemon could do nothing but clutch at his stomach, double over, and collapse to the ground with a soft thudding sound.

Volan and Trevor had won the double battle, leaving Toby defeated and themselves deeply satisfied.

"Nice job, Flabébé," the latter congratulated his Pokemon. He genuinely seemed comfortable around the Fairy-type this time – it was probably the elation he felt in their victory that had such an effect on him.

"Bey la fey!" she chirped in reply, darting close to him so she could rub her tiny face against his with obvious affection.

It was right then that Trevor remembered his usual attitude to her intimate habits, and went stark white while fumbling for her ball. He found it and recalled her without delay, his face gradually going back to its original color.

But Volan, on the other hand, had his needle-sharp glare focused on Toby alone. "Had enough?" he challenged "You lost, so does this mean you'll leave us alone now?"

Cringing in horror for a second, Toby quickly regained his composure and returned his other Pokemon, turning up his nose in an unfettered expression. "Pfft, lucky shot, Bird Brain. If I'd been using my more experienced Pokemon, I'd have wiped the floor with you."

"Keep telling yourself that," Volan sneered back, unconvinced.

"So you beat my two weakest Pokemon, big deal!" the bully continued to brag, wiping his nose smugly. "That victory was a fluke and you know it. In fact, if Gulp wasn't being such a wuss, we'd still have won. So really, you didn't beat me at all!"

"That doesn't even make sense!" Trevor protested. "You're just being a sore loser."

"And what do you know about it, kid?" he taunted. "You've been a Trainer for what, less than a week? If my Pokemon are too weak, it's not my fault I lose, get it? Like I said, if I had my better Pokemon with me, _then_ I'd have lost. You're only actual Trainer material if you beat someone at their best."

"Do you even hear yourself when you talk?" Thrin asked rhetorically. "If you're going to place blame on your Bellsprout, at least take some responsibility for forcing it to fight when it was already injured."

Despite her impeccable point, her words didn't have an effect on him. He simply chuckled and casually lobbed Gulp's Poke Ball into the air, saying, "Hey, if you really care about this wimp so much, take care of it yourself."

Blue light streamed from the capsule, releasing its battered inhabitant. However, this time the cerulean glow lingered on Gulp's body before finally flickering away. There was no doubt about it – she'd been officially released from the Poke Ball. Barely conscious, Gulp wobbled to her feet and blinked at her surroundings dazedly, wondering what she was doing back out in the open.

"There you go," Toby shrugged. "I'm not keeping a Pokemon around that drags me and my _real_ team down like that."

See, Volan had known that Toby was a serious jerk (and that was putting it in the nicest terms possible) ever since he'd encountered Rudy in the Castelia Sewers on his travels through Unova. He was aware that Toby was willing to stoop low enough to abandon a Pokemon for petty reasons like, say, being unable to learn a difficult move, as he'd done to the then-Sandile. Sure, it made him angry, but it was a vague feeling – like knowing you _should_ be mad, but not actually experiencing the emotion yourself.

And today, he was finally seeing it for himself.

"B-Bell?" stammered Gulp. The idea that she was being rejected woke her up, filling her rest-deprived body with energy that only fear could supply.

"Don't look at me like that," Toby scolded her, turning his back. "I tried to make you into a Pokemon worth using, but there are obviously better Pokemon out there that I could be using. You're free now or whatever. Just get off my back."

In that moment, Volan realized what was exactly so familiar about Gulp. She looked astoundingly similar to Hydreigon – _No, it's Goryn now,_ he reminded himself. The Grass-and-Poison-type had that same desperate expression that screamed _Give me another chance, I promise I'll do better next time_. Volan knew it as the one that always flickered across Goryn's faces whenever he thought he'd screwed up enough to get booted from Volan's team.

The resemblance was enough to make his heart wrench with pity for Gulp, and his veins burn with fury at his rival for driving her to such a state of panic.

"BELL!" Gulp cried as she watched Toby start to leave. She'd done her best! Was that not good enough for the Trainer that had promised to make her strong? Didn't he realize that it was hard for her to fight two battles in a row without rest?

Apparently not, because he reacted to her further protests with rage. He turned around and tossed another Poke Ball, and within the space of a second, Gulp was sent tumbling away to land unconscious in the grass with a strike from the tail of Volt the Raichu.

"One more Tail Whip," he spat contemptuously, "just to make sure she doesn't try to follow us again."

"Rai rai!" the Electric-type laughed cruelly, and whipped her long tail at the helpless Bellsprout one more time.

Volan's eyes _blazed_ at the display, filling him with a maddened desire to make Toby pay for his actions in blood.

"Edgar! Piper!" the Gurei boy yelled their names in a sizzling voice.

No command was needed – both birds knew what he wanted them to do. Each letting out a defiant screech, the two Flying-types dove at Volt's head and struck her with a Peck, driving her away before she could hurt Gulp any further. They hovered there, giving the Raichu a combined glare that _dared_ her to make another move, type advantage or no. Meanwhile, Trevor slipped in to carefully claim the still Bellsprout, then drew back behind the Gurei siblings so as to protect her from further harm.

Toby snarled with annoyance at the way Volan and Thrin stood up to him, but decided not to press the matter further – apparently, this wasn't worth getting into another fight for. He simply reabsorbed Volt back inside her ball, and elbowed his way past the brother and sister with more force than was necessary. They stumbled a little from his shove, but otherwise didn't move, keeping their heated glares on his retreating back until he'd been lost from view.

"That son of a Bisharp," cursed Thrin, as soon as he was gone. "I knew he was bad ever since we met Rudy in Unova, but that was the most despicable thing I've ever seen. Treating a Pokemon like that, honestly!"

"I was thinking the exact same thing," Volan agreed. He gestured for Edgar and Piper to come back and continued sarcastically, "Glad to see he hasn't changed his ways at all in six years. Believe me, before all's said and done, I'm going to make sure that both Bernice and Rudy have their chance to kick his ass all the way back to Unova."

The Gureis were silent for that moment, stewing in their mutual hatred for the bully they'd just fought and inadvertently feeling closer to one another in sharing this intense emotion together. They'd both heard the phrase "misery loves company" before, but it also seemed to be the case for their righteous anger. Perhaps it was any strong emotion that could apply here.

"Hold on, what was it you just said?" asked Thrin, turning her questioning gaze on her brother.

Taken slightly aback, Volan thought back to his last statement and repeated, "Uh, I said that eventually there'll be a chance for me, Bernice, and Rudy to get back at Toby for what he's done to us… why?"

A new light was gleaming in Thrin's eyes – the light of inspiration. Volan didn't know what was going through her head, that is until she turned around and stared at Gulp contemplatively… then it all made sense to him.

The Bellsprout, despite being so near to them, looked very small and lonely as she crouched weakly in the grass. Her body was hunched with the effort of keeping herself aloft. It was clear that she couldn't take any more abuse than she already had. Thrin only approached her after getting onto her knees, shuffling forward so as not to make the recently abandoned Grass-and-Poison-type feel too threatened.

"Hey, Gulp," she greeted her softly. "You know, no matter what Toby said, I think you did a pretty good job in that battle."

She did not get any sort of reply, other than Gulp slightly raising her head so that she could peek up at the Gurei girl.

"I'd like you to come along with me and be part of my team," Thrin invited. "Toby doesn't know what he's talking about. You're no weakling. So I suppose what I'm saying… is that you can come enter the Kalos League with me and prove that your old Trainer is wrong about you."

Gulp raised her head even higher, stretching out to almost her full height, with what looked like new hope dawning behind her eyes.

"So what do you say?" Thrin continued kindly, giving her a patient smile. "Want to show the whole world what an awesome Pokemon you really are?"

It was impossible for Volan to know exactly what was going on inside Gulp's head. She'd already had to endure one of the worst acts of cruelty a Trainer could possibly inflict on their Pokemon, and not even a minute afterwards, she was being offered the complete opposite – a new future and a chance to start again under the guidance of a kind and welcoming Trainer, without even getting some time to finish processing the shock of her abrupt abandonment.

 _It must be pretty overwhelming for Gulp,_ Volan thought. _Good for her, though. I can't believe Thrin's doing this, but at the same time I'm glad she is._

At last, following a good few seconds of anticipation, Gulp gave Thrin her answer.

"Bellsprout bell!" she uttered. Her bulbous head bobbed almost uncontrollably up and down on her comparatively spindly body.

" _That's a yes,_ " Piper confirmed for Volan. " _And hey, this is my first time translating for you, 'cause now you can understand me and all._ "

" _First time fer everyting, now ain't dere?_ " remarked Edgar, raising a wing.

Delighted at Gulp's acceptance, Thrin eagerly shimmied her shoulders to get her backpack off and quickly took out an empty Poke Ball. She thrust her arm forward, holding the capsule out to Gulp button-side first.

"Let's work as a team toward our goal, okay Gulp?" asked the Gurei girl.

"Beeeeell!" Gulp cried happily. " _I'll try to make you proud!_ "

Using her leaf to give the button a single tap, she did not resist as the ball popped open and sucked her inside as a globule of scarlet energy, closing with a *click*. It wiggled for several seconds in Thrin's open palm before settling down and dinging cheerfully.

Trembling with excitement, Thrin turned the capsule over so she could peer through the transparent bottom at the Pokemon that was now contained inside. Volan crouched down and leaned forward, and she obligingly tilted her hand forward to provide him with a better view. Seeing Gulp the Bellsprout relaxing inside the sphere calmed him somewhat, taking a little of the edge off the rage he felt towards Toby.

When he backed up into his normal crouching position, Thrin hurled the Poke Ball skyward with an energetic cry of, "Come on out, Gulp!"

In the seconds it took for her newest partner to materialize, the younger Gurei had already unclipped Akuma's and Claire's capsules from her belt and sent them out as well. Once all three of her Pokemon were standing before her, she took the wounded Bellsprout in her arms and held her before the other two.

"Gang, this is Gulp!" she introduced. "She's going to be traveling with us from now on, so make sure to work together on our travels."

" _Nice to meetcha!_ " Akuma giggled.

"Froakie," added Claire. " _Likewise._ "

"Now hold still," Thrin instructed Gulp, shifting her so that she was now seated in her lap. "I'm going to use a healing potion to treat your wounds. That'll do the trick until we can get to the Pokemon Center."

Once Gulp was fixed up (temporarily, at least), it was high time the group started moving on. They still had more than half of Route 5 to travel, after all. Camphrier Town awaited them – and it was there at the historic site that they could begin investigating Mega Evolution for the professor.

 _We also have to keep a sharp eye out for Team Flare,_ Volan thought grimly. _And Diantha said she'd contact us if she found anything important…_

There was a lot to remain aware of, but Volan shoved it to the back of his mind for later. Now, it was time to enjoy the rest of their relaxing stroll up and down the hills of Route 5.

-.-.-.-.-.

 **A reviewer pointed something out to me in the last chapter, regarding the badge requirements to access the Lumiose Gym. I did not make a mistake, it was intentional.**

 **I'm going to explain this just so that there's no confusion – Volan and Thrin have expanded their collection of TMs since moving to Kalos, so they can teach their Pokemon a much wider variety of moves.**

 **This chapter went on for longer than I anticipated. I'll need to be careful about chapter length in the future. But anyway, Thrin gets a second new Pokémon! That dumbass Toby had better watch out, because now he's got two 'mons with a grudge against him.**

 **Gulp: "Bellsprout bell! _Please give us reviews!_ "**

 ** _Insectivora mandragora_** **= "insect-eating mandrake"**

 **Next chapter** **: Ye Olde Camphrier Towne**

 **Chapter Question #19: What's your favorite Gen 6 Pokemon?**

 **Noivern and Hawlucha are tied for mine, mostly because of their badass designs and incredible viability in-game. (But of course, having starring roles in the anime doesn't hurt!)**

 **-.-.-.-.-.**

 **Volan's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Edgar (Murkrow, male)  
** **Ability: Super Luck**

 **Piper (Fletchinder, female)  
** **Ability: Flame Body  
** **Moves: Peck, Ember, Agility, Thief**

 **Majesty (Combee, female)  
** **Ability: Honey Gather**

 **Thrin's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Akuma (Vivillon, male)  
** **Ability: Compound Eyes**

 **Claire (Froakie, female, shiny)  
** **Ability: Protean**

 **Gulp (Bellsprout, female)  
** **Ability: Chlorophyll  
** **Moves: Vine Whip, Growth, Wrap, Poison Powder**


	26. Ye Olde Camphrier Towne

**_Chapter 24 – Ye Olde Camphrier Towne_**

 **Last time on "Flight of a Legend"…**

 **Taking a short break from their travels on Route 5, Volan, Thrin, and Trevor decided to get some training in before they set off again. Volan and his Pokemon, in particular, worked hard, as he was trying to get Piper to learn a new move. When the group moved on, however, they encountered Toby again, who challenged them to a battle. After Piper learned Thief and worked together with Flabébé to defeat him, the irritated bully released his Bellsprout and abandoned it. Thrin took the Bellsprout, Gulp, in right after.**

-.-.-.-.-.

 _Volan was not quite sure when he found himself back in the familiar dreamscape – one minute, he was lying in his bed at the Pokemon Center, and the next, he was standing in a place he never thought he'd visit again._

 _It was exactly the same as his previous nightmare. A vast, barren wasteland stretched across the ground for as far as the eye could see, with nary a single sprout growing from the desolate land. It was dark – very dark. The ground was dark purple, or perhaps burgundy, underneath the shadowy sky that provided naught but a faint glimmer of sunlight. The pitch-black silhouettes of mountain peaks could be seen bordering the wasteland to both Volan's left and right, ominous and yet bringing with them a sense of security. This desolate place didn't reach out to infinity, then._

 _Up ahead, there was the same spire of crystal jutting up from beneath the earth, a gleaming greenish-white despite the lack of sunlight to illuminate it. It bulged out at the bottom before thinning out and tapering to a cylindrical point, resembling a flower about to bloom. Although it was some distance away, it nevertheless dominated the sparse dreamscape as a towering source of light where there should be none._

 _If this was like the previous dream, Volan knew, the crystalline flower would split open and release its deadly rays to destroy the very earth around it…_

 _It happened abruptly, bright crimson light flashing out through the cracks in the opening obelisk. Even knowing that it was going to happen did nothing to prepare Volan for the actual event, and he toppled onto his rear end with his heart beating a mile a minute. The red beams joined together into one gigantic stream that soared high into the air and struck the clouds, causing red light to spread through the sky._

 _Wherever the red cast its glow, the ground crumbled into nothingness in an advancing line of destruction that crawled steadily toward Volan's feet. He scrambled away, doing his best to keep ahead of the blanket of red that continued to spread across the sky. But in this dream, the more he ran, the more the atmosphere seemed to thicken. It got to the point where Volan eventually felt as though he were walking underwater, and a single footstep took forever to complete._

 _The destruction would surely reach him in no time, sending him plummeting into the all-consuming black abyss below._

 _He managed to turn his head far enough to glimpse the giant crystal behind him, still pouring its crimson light into the sky. And yes, there it was – that single point of light that shone immeasurably brightly, growing still brighter the longer he stared, with its three rays extending outwards to form the shape of a Y. A terrible screech resonated out over the barren land, but the source of the horrifying sound could not be pinpointed – it actually sounded as if it was coming from the star itself._

 _The star dramatically increased in brightness, and its light rapidly expanded to completely encompass Volan's range of vision. Blinded, he stumbled, and it was at that moment when he felt the ground crumble away under his feet…_

 _But then he was suddenly standing on something solid again._

 _The bright light faded, granting Volan his sight back._

 _Now he was standing in a small clearing, this one the complete opposite of the lifeless wasteland from before. Trees surrounded the clearing, all of them thick with fruit and lush enough to completely block his view of the sky. Sunlight streamed down through the single hole the trees left unblocked, allowing a thick, multicolored carpet of flowers to grow unhindered._

 _However, Volan's eyes weren't drawn to the plant life. Rather, he gazed upon a huge rock that rose into the air a short ways in front of him. At the apex of the slanted stone structure, another blinding point of light sat, bright against the relative darkness of the bountiful forest behind it. The way it glowed and sent out four rays of light extending out around it, it slightly reminded him of the letter X._

 _All around him, the air seemed to sparkle, and an unmistakable buzz of energy made his entire body tingle. It was almost… magical, in a way. Supernatural, almost, with how much life there was here._

 _But this vision wasn't to last long either._

 _Before Volan's eyes, the world around him warped itself beyond recognition, spinning dizzily around him until it had become transformed into another nightmarish scene. Instead of an empty wasteland, he was standing among burning skyscrapers. Screams pierced the air, and explosions could be heard in the distance. Volan whipped around, turning this way and that in a panic, attempting to figure out what he could do to help and how, but there was so much going on at once that he found it impossible to take a single action._

 _Fire, lightning, and ice crackled through the sky far above his head, towards a destination unknown. The sky turned red all of a sudden, and the same grating shriek from earlier tore through the air, promising nothing but death to any who heard it. From behind the tallest group of buildings directly in front of him, a red glow began to build, growing larger and brighter until the Y-shaped star flew out in all its terrible glory._

 _Then, suddenly, the area around Volan was bathed in a blue glow. He turned around in confusion, just in time to see the X-shaped star streak over his head and collide with the other one in an immense explosion of white light that rendered him blind once again._

 _When his eyesight came back, he was back on the wasteland. There were no buildings, no screaming, no lights. Green flames burned all over the ground, all the way to the horizon. The sky was a darker green in color, a color which flickered here and there as if it was mimicking the movements of the fires beneath._

 _Volan was standing in the middle of a circular spot where no fires burned. He tried to take a step, and the flames obligingly moved out of his way. Looking ahead, the Gurei boy could see all of his friends trapped by the emerald fires – there was Thrin, and Trevor, and Calem and the others… but Stephan and Bianca were also there, and his mother, and his dear Caitlin…_

 _He took another step forward to save them, and let out a scream of shock as the fires suddenly leaped high and consumed them in an instant._

 _Unable to move, Volan stood there, frozen with horror, as he watched the towering column of flame burn his loved ones to nothing. It died down, leaving only one person behind… a person that was familiar, yet far from friendly._

 _It was the girl from Santalune Forest, her eyes glowing ominously from underneath her unkempt mane of tangled lavender hair._

 _"_ _You see, Volantes Gurei?" she spoke in a low, menacing hiss, her tone coming across as vaguely amused. "The Crisis is coming, and when it arrives, everyone you love will die…_ _ **all because of you.**_ _"_

 _The flames exploded in size, filling Volan's vision up with nothing but green, and rolled forward like a tidal wave to consume him last of all._

-.-.-.-.-.

With all due haste, Volan awoke from the nightmare.

He was sitting up in his pajamas, in the room he'd reserved at the Camphrier Town Pokemon Center last night. Judging by the faint sliver of light coming from behind the closed window blinds, the sun had already risen. It took a while for the fear and shock to wear off, so he sat up in bed for several seconds, doing nothing but listen to his breathing slowly go back to normal.

Once he felt as though he'd gotten the panic out of his system and was in complete control of himself again, Volan reached over to the desk beside his bed and switched on the lamp, brightening the room considerably. The second he did so, however, his backpack shook itself open and three streams of azure light spilled out into the open. They quickly coalesced into his three Kalos Pokemon, which he found decidedly odd – they must have somehow sensed his sudden, distraught awakening and come out to check on him, which _was_ odd when he'd only known two out of the three 'mons for less than a week.

" _Youse is feelin' alright, Boss?_ " Edgar asked, fluttering to perch on his footboard.

Despite how calm he felt, Volan's voice still shook a tiny bit. "J-Just a nightmare is all," he explained. "It's not a big deal, really."

" _Really?_ " Piper repeated the word, far more skeptically. " _Because I know what I sensed when you woke up, and it certainly seemed like a big deal._ "

"Combee, beebee," added Majesty, sounding encouraging.

Smiling a little, Volan thanked them, "I appreciate the support, guys. But honestly, I don't think you should be worrying over a bad dream of mine. Everyone gets them, after all, and they don't hurt anybody."

Whereas Piper and Majesty nodded at that logic agreeably, Edgar was more hesitant to give his approval. His nod was much slower and his expression more spaced out. He was disinclined to go along with what his boss was saying, as he'd heard a few things from Bernice and the other Unova Pokemon about the kinds of dreams Volan had.

Namely, the ones that eventually were proven to come true.

" _Howsabout youse tells us about dis dream o'yours?_ " the Murkrow prompted. " _Gettin' it all out in da open might calm youse down, see?_ "

It couldn't hurt, at least. Volan reasoned that if his Pokemon companions were concerned for him over this, it would be good to indulge them and maybe set aside some of their fears.

 _Although with how dark this dream turned out to be, it probably might give them something new to fear,_ Volan thought grimly, then pushed it away so he could focus on telling his tale.

He launched into a description of the dream without adding a whole lot of detail. Sure, that would probably make it a lot harder for the Pokemon to understand how he'd actually experienced it, but he thought it necessary to spare them from the… stronger emotions the dream had dredged up in him. They didn't need him to describe the sheer shock and feeling of loss when he'd watched his loved ones be incinerated alive, did they?

That particular image – all of the people he'd truly bonded with and grown to care about over the past few years, gone in a roar of green flame – almost distracted him and prevented him from finishing his recollection.

When he was done, the three Flying-types exchanged glances. None of them seemed to know what to say, at least initially, but they soon got over that.

" _It was only a dream,_ " Piper stated flatly. " _It's natural to fear losing your friends and family._ "

"Bee, beebee Combeebee," mused Majesty. " _It could've been brought on with Team Flare's last attack, Your Highness._ "

"I've had this dream _before_ , though," Volan made sure to stress. "It didn't end quite like… this one did, but it was basically the same."

Edgar shivered and continued to stay silent. This only added fuel to his suspicion – no, his secret fear – that this was one of those prophecy-like dreams that he knew Volan was said to have. For him, it was not out of the question for the Gurei boy to be dreaming of some terrible events yet to come, and this realization was incredibly sobering.

"And that girl," Volan continued to speak, almost to himself as he frowned and sat back on the bed. "When we met her in real life, she seemed to know an awful lot about us… and she spoke of this 'Crisis' that she insisted was coming."

Hesitantly, Edgar inquired, " _Youse has heard dis Crisis ting, or what have youse, in your subconscious wanderings, dat right?_ "

Tilting his head, Volan closed his eyes and concentrated, thinking back to the first nightmare he had in the woods. "I _think_ so," he finally answered, without opening his eyes. "I can never remember dreams in their entirety after such a long time, but it might've mentioned it."

A lengthy pause ensued as the Pokemon digested that.

The memory of the creepy girl in Santalune Forest filled up Volan's mind – her tangled hair, ragged dress, and hollow eyes appeared so vivid that it was almost as if she were standing before him again. He shuddered, remembering what she'd done and said, and privately thought that him and the others would be better off if they didn't cross paths with her ever again.

Was there some kind of connection? Between the girl and Volan's nightmares, that is? He had no way of knowing, but… at the same time, he was rather inclined to say yes.

 _It's probably best to keep all this in mind,_ Volan realized, his brow clearing as it hit him. _Don't worry too much about it, but if this 'Crisis' turns out to be real, it might be worth seeking out that girl for answers…_

With a grunt, Volan suddenly swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. "Okay, it's high time I get up. We've got a full day of… uh, stuff to do in Camphrier Town. I don't exactly know what, but I'd at least like to stick around until Caitlin shows up…"

The Pokemon nodded as one, approving of the idea of moving on with the day's events and not getting bogged down by thoughts of ominous nightmares. They waited patiently as Volan washed up in the bathroom and changed into his normal set of clothes, and allowed themselves to be recalled back into their balls once Volan returned and fed them each a quick breakfast. With that all taken care of, Volan clipped the Poke Balls back onto his belt and exited the room in order to meet his friends for their own morning meal.

Both Thrin and Trevor were sitting in the Pokemon Center lobby when he walked in. Well, Thrin was sitting. Trevor, on the other hand, was all over the place, going wherever there was a Pokemon for him to photograph. As Volan stood and watched his friend come and go, he noticed that several people recognized him – maybe from that photography website that Trevor had mentioned using some time ago – and were more than happy to let him take pictures of their Pokemon. Even from a distance, he could see that Trevor was flushed red with elation and gratitude.

"Oh, hey," Thrin greeted as he walked over to sit beside her. "I'm just waiting for Trevor to finish. For someone as introverted as he is, he sure likes being the center of attention."

"He might not even notice it," Volan remarked, dipping his head to indicate how Trevor was currently acting bashful toward a person that had just bestowed a compliment unto him. "He's so caught up in doing what he loves."

"He's a great guy, huh?" Thrin said, staring at the orange-haired boy's back with something like approval.

Now, what could she have meant by that? He looked at her oddly, observing her as she kept her unwavering gaze on the animated Trevor. It certainly seemed as though their Kalosian neighbor, in his unusually stimulated and excited state, had caught her attention. Could she be…?

So he, cautiously, asked her if that was the case. The question was met with a derisive, although not exactly disgusted, response.

"No!" his sister protested. "I don't mean that he's a great guy in _that_ way, Arceus no. How should I explain this…? I guess I mean that after a couple of years of knowing him as a really shy, withdrawn kind of person, we're only now getting to know him. _Really_ getting to know him."

Once he thought about it, Volan could sort of see what she meant. He'd definitely never seen Trevor so excited to be around a crowd of other people. Maybe this journey was already changing him, or else bringing out his true nature. After all, that was exactly what Volan's own journey had done for him.

Recalling how Thrin had reacted to his previous question, he gave her an apologetic glance. "Sorry. You just gave me the impression that you were…"

"Are you trying to set us up now or something?" she grinned at him, flipping his cap off his head. "What happened to your last plan? You know, when you and your girlfriend wanted to set him up with Shauna."

He shrugged, chuckling at the memory of him and Caitlin devising exactly such a plan. She'd been pretty dead set on making it happen. The determination in her voice had been adorable.

"Speaking of which," Thrin was saying, "we should probably eat something and then get going. She's probably going to be here today, if she's still meeting us in town."

"Sure," Volan replied, sitting up. "Let's go grab something from the café next door – we can bring Trevor something if he's still not done over there."

Almost as if by magic, the orange-haired boy appeared at their side when Volan uttered his name. The Trainers he'd been chatting with had dispersed, allowing him to rejoin the group of three.

"Sorry I took so long," he said with a blush.

"Nonsense. You looked like you were enjoying yourself," Thrin stated cheerfully.

Trevor blinked, as if surprised she considered that a valid reason to wait up on him. "O-Okay, as long as you're sure… S-So, are we going for breakfast then?"

"Yes, we were thinking of the place we saw when we arrived in town last night," Volan informed him. "Then… well, I've got no plans except looking for Caitlin, so we can spend the whole day doing whatever we want. There might be good places to train, or tourist attractions worth visiting."

Neither Thrin nor Trevor was anything less than enthusiastic about that, so needless to say, they were in agreement with that idea. They walked out the sliding glass doors of the Pokemon Center and into the fresh air of Camphrier Town, which welcomed them readily. It was still early in the morning, so the sun was still low in the sky and painted a soft orangey glow over everything around them. The sky was a darker shade of lavender for the most part, gradually brightening to blue around the sun itself. Long shadows were cast over the ground, giving the town a contrasting atmosphere that was half-light and half-darkness.

Camphrier Town itself was a sight to behold. It was reportedly the oldest town in all of Kalos, and this was reflected in the structure of its roads and buildings. Aside from the Pokemon Center, all of the buildings were sturdy and well-built relics of a time long past. It was a smaller, compact town where everything was built closely together, especially around the main square in the center. There were no roads, only cobblestone paths that were not too harsh an environment for the occasional weed or blade of grass to take root. As far as Volan had read, there wasn't a single building that had been torn down or even renovated since it was founded thousands of years ago.

In other words, Camphrier Town was the closest a person in this modern age could get to traveling back in time. It was so… _medieval_ , for lack of a better term. The markets were all open stalls – most of the ones selling food happened to be selling produce grown in Vaniville Town, incidentally – and there was even a blacksmith's workshop, although it was unlikely that any activity still went on there. On the hill to the north of the town, there was even an honest-to-Arceus _castle_ , complete with flags waving from the battlements. Literally all that was missing were the knights and Ponyta-drawn carriages.

"I feel so out of place," murmured Thrin, as they walked across the path to reach the café they had in mind – although it looked more like an old-fashioned tavern.

"Tell me about it," agreed Volan. "And I thought Santalune City was a historical site – at least it looks slightly more modern. The buildings there couldn't have been more than a hundred years old."

"It's probably because this place has more history… at least, more important history, anyway," Trevor mused. "The castle is still owned by a noble family, so I wonder if that speaks for anything."

"I've read the lower floors had been reworked into a museum, though," Volan added thoughtfully. "Perhaps that's the site Professor Sycamore mentioned. We should check it out and see if there's anything to learn about Mega Evolution there."

After purchasing their meal and spending time eating in the café/tavern ("I swear it is _so weird_ to be ordering cereal in a place this freaking ancient," Thrin stressed, much to the boys' amusement), the sky was much brighter when the time came for it to greet the travelers again. The transformation was astounding – only half an hour of breakfast indoors and already the sky was blue, and the roads much livelier as people went about their daily business.

"Hey," Thrin said, poking Volan in the shoulder. "Did you notice all the decorations before?"

Come to think of it, he hadn't. The Gurei boy now turned his attention to the rooftops and street lamps, which were indeed festooned with festive decorations. Strung between buildings were colorful chains of triangular flags, flower baskets overflowing with greenery, and even strings that sported paper cut-outs shaped like different kinds of berries. The closer they walked to the center of town, they even began to see cut-outs in the shape of some kind of Pokemon – round, with pointy ears and stubby limbs. Still more flower baskets hung from the necks of the street lamps, and whole wreaths of flowers could be found dangling above market stalls and from people's doors.

"It's like there's some kind of celebration going on," Volan muttered aloud.

"Perhaps we should ask one of the locals about it," suggested Trevor. "Look, we're almost at the town square…"

They turned the corner and immediately found themselves staring at a plaza dominated by a small water fountain that had several modest-sized streams of water going at once. The ground was all cobblestone, and aside from the few bushes growing at the edges of the plaza, there were no other distinguishing features that stood out to the trio. The fountain had been decorated with more flowers, and even longer strings of colored flags and berry cut-outs stretched overhead from one end of the square to the other.

Thrin walked over to the fountain and bent over to get a better look. At the bottom, the glittering round shapes of coins could be seen through the choppy surface of the water, all stirred up from the streams of water pouring into the basin to be recycled and spat out again in a continuous cycle.

"Not much to see," she reported when the boys came over.

Looking about, Volan's eyes eventually settled on an elderly woman passing by from the direction of the market, a basket held in the crook of her arm. "Excuse me," he called to her, waving to get her attention. "My sister, my friend, and I are just passing through, and we were wondering if you could tell us the meaning of the decorations set up around the town?"

"Traveling Trainers, are you?" the lady asked. She seemed to scrutinize the three of them.

"Indeed. We've come all the way from Vaniville," Volan confirmed, getting a smile out of the old woman.

"Is there a festival or something going on?" Thrin asked her.

She nodded, the corners of her eyes crinkling with something like amusement. "Yes, that's right. See… you say you're from Vaniville? Well, before Vaniville was founded, our humble town was the primary source of produce for the rest of Kalos. There were many hard years in those times, you understand, so there would always be a big celebration whenever the farmers brought in a good harvest. While it's lost its original meaning, the Harvest Festival has become an annual tradition in Camphrier Town this time of year."

The conclusion of the story brought about a collective nod from Volan and the others. But there was one thing that still didn't make sense, which was brought to light when Trevor spoke up, "And the decorations that kind of look like Pokemon? Where do they fit in?"

When he used his chin to indicate a string of said decorations dangling above their heads, the woman smiled again. "Ah. Well you see, youngsters, there's quite a fascinating story behind those –"

However, there was no way she could begin such a story. There was a sudden commotion coming from the near distance – a great yelling of sorts, followed by the crashing sounds of something large ruining stalls and spilling piles of objects into the streets. People's shouts could also be heard underneath the din as they frantically moved to get out of the way of whatever was causing the panic.

"I swear if it's a Dragon-type…" muttered Thrin.

"Then it would be the best thing ever?" finished Volan, smirking.

She turned to him with a grin. "You know it."

As it were, though, it was no rampaging reptile stirring up trouble – the Pokemon in question suddenly burst out from a side street with an angry roar, revealing itself to be a four-armed brute with bulging muscles and what looked for all the world like a speedo hugging its waist. Volan had seen one of its species once before, he believed, but couldn't quite recall the thing's name.

"Okay, so it's probably a Fighting-type of some kind…" he murmured to himself. He reached for his Pokedex with one hand and a Poke Ball with the other.

"A Machamp!" Trevor stated helpfully. "It looks furious!"

"Take a closer look," Thrin corrected him. She pointed, indicating how the Machamp's legs wobbled and how its bloodshot eyes had bags under them. "It's more like it's sick or sleep-deprived."

The few people that were walking around the plaza scattered rapidly at the sight of the furious Pokemon. In only a couple of seconds, the only ones left were Volan, Thrin, and Trevor – so it was only inevitable that the Machamp noticed them and them alone.

"Chaaaaamp!" it yelled angrily, and rushed forward to attack – although its gait was more like a stumble.

Immediately, Volan abandoned his efforts to grab his Pokedex and instead whipped out all of the Poke Balls he had on hand. "Edgar, Piper, and Majesty, help us!"

"Come out, Akuma, Claire, and Gulp!" shouted Thrin, doing the same.

"Ch-Charmander and Flabébé, you too!" Trevor stammered, the last to act.

The eight Pokemon all appeared in front of their respective Trainers, baring their teeth (or just doing their best to look threatening, for those that didn't have teeth). They were so small in comparison to the charging Machamp, but steeled themselves fearlessly and took on defensive poses, ready to take on this daunting foe if it meant protecting their human friends.

With a swing of his arm, Volan cried out, "Begin with Sweet Scent, Majesty! You other two, hit it with Peck!"

The Combee took flight, rising up above them all and churning her wings to create a soft honey-scented breeze. Groaning, the Machamp exhaustedly ground to a halt and seemed to relax at the welcoming scent. That was when Edgar and Piper shot forward, their beaks flashing with white light right before they rammed their natural weapons straight into Machamp's chest. It staggered back with a surprised bellow and clumsily swiped the air with its four arms, but the birds were agile enough to weave around its flailing limbs and get to a safe distance.

"Struggle Bug, Akuma!" ordered Thrin. "Gulp and Claire, use Vine Whip and Bubble!"

Before Machamp could execute one of its moves in retaliation, the Scale Pokemon sped headlong into its abdomen while glowing bright green. He giggled, but placing himself in such close quarters with the livid Fighting-type was dangerous, and he was far less adept when it came to mastery over the skies than Edgar or Piper. Machamp's arms glowed blindingly as it prepared to strike Akuma down, but just then, a barrage of bubbles and repeated lashes of whip-like vines drove it away. Akuma was allowed to flutter away without harm, chirruping a thanks to his ground-bound comrades.

"Maaaaa-chaaaaaamp!" howled Machamp. Somewhat awkwardly, it cupped its lower pair of hands together and formed a golden sphere of energy, grimacing to itself at the concentration it took to maintain the attack.

Recognizing the move as a Focus Blast, Trevor shouted, "Flabébé, use Captivate! Then Charmander, use Ember!"

Heart-shaped projectiles flew from Flabébé's flower, impacting against Machamp in various places. A blue aura enveloped it and streaks of light flowed downwards, signalling a change in its stats, even as its Focus Blast started to wobble and vibrate, its concentration starting to falter. At last, the Superpower Pokemon gave up on properly forming the energy sphere and launched it prematurely, leading to a midair detonation that only harmed Trevor's Pokemon minimally. Charmander used the opening to shoot ember clouds at Machamp's feet, bringing it down to its knees.

"Finish this, Gulp and Akuma!" Thrin cried. "Stop it from moving with Wrap, then use Sleep Powder!"

Her two Pokemon set to work. The first bound Machamp's four arms tightly to its sides with her vines, while the second flew over while gently sprinkling emerald dust over its struggling form. Quick as a Snivy, Machamp pitched forward and hit the ground with a tremendous thud, already snoring.

The three Trainers each let out a sigh of relief now that the short battle was over and done with. They recalled their Pokemon one at a time, giving each one his or her own thank-you for a job well done. By the time the last Pokemon was safely in its ball, a panting man wearing karate gear ran from the direction Machamp had come, sweat clinging to his brow.

"I… can't believe it!" the man exclaimed tiredly, placing his hands on his knees as he got his breath back. "You… you actually managed to… stop my Machamp…"

"Just, uh… doing our job?" replied Thrin. "Well, it _did_ attack us, so self-defense was kind of the logical thing to do."

The karate man stood up fully, appearing much calmer now that he'd stopped running. "Anyway, thanks a ton for dealing with Machamp. He's been going without sleep for several days now, and I guess the stress finally got to him."

He produced a Poke Ball from inside his uniform and used it to recall the slumbering Machamp. Hands now on his hips, he grinned down at the teenagers and added, "Thanks to you, he'll be a lot calmer for the rest of the Harvest Festival! As thanks, why don't I let you all take a look inside Shabboneau Castle's museum? I happen to be the manager there!"

There was no way Volan and the others could say no to the kind offer – they _had_ just helped the man get his unruly Pokemon under control, after all, so it would be rude to refuse. And they'd been planning on visiting the museum anyway. Their guide led them down a path north of the town square, toward the immense castle looming in the distance.

"If I may ask, why did your Machamp go on a rampage like that?" questioned Trevor, his voice one of innocent curiosity as they followed their guide.

"Like I said, lack of sleep eventually made him snap," he answered, a bit sheepishly. "Thing is, it's been difficult for most of us in Camphrier Town to get a decent night's sleep recently."

He wasn't entirely sure what made him jump to this conclusion, but Volan nevertheless spoke his mind. "Would this have anything to do with the Harvest Festival you're celebrating, by any chance?"

With a slightly embarrassed laugh, the karate man replied, "Yeah, you're actually right on the money there. Something's gone mighty wrong this year. Usually the festival would've happened by now, but it's been several days since Lord Shabboneau was supposed to open the festivities."

"Has anyone at least asked this Lord Shabboneau what the problem was?" asked Thrin.

The man shrugged. "Plenty of times, including me. But no-one's been able to get an answer…"

Eventually, as they continued their walk, they left the main part of Camphrier Town behind them. The old-fashioned buildings grew fewer and fewer until they had been replaced entirely with tall trees and bushes, and the cobblestone road under their feet became nothing more than a simple dirt path carving a swathe through the thick forest. Occasionally, they'd come across a tall metal post on the side of the path bearing a flag with what seemed to be a coat of arms on it.

When Thrin pointed it out, the karate man elaborated, "That's been the coat of arms for Camphrier Town and Shabboneau Castle ever since it was founded thousands of years ago."

They got closer to the flag as they walked, and Volan gave it a studious look in passing. It was red, depicting a large shield in the middle, with a knight wielding a sword on one side and a fire-breathing Salamence on the other. That at least confirmed that historically, Camphrier Town must have had problems with Dragon-types.

"Why is that?" he wondered, after mentioning it to their guide.

"Well," he put a finger on his chin in deep thought while speaking, "I never gave it that much thought before, but if I had to take a stab at it, then I'd say that Dragons saw people either as a threat or a food source when they started clearing out their territories to make way for farmland. So some would attack to try and drive the people away, and others might've attacked simply because there was no other food. Pokemon are complex creatures," he added, with some degree of admiration. "Even after centuries of living together with Pokemon as companions, no-one really knows what goes on in their heads."

That statement got a chuckle out of Volan, for a reason that clearly had the karate man mystified. _No-one except me. Well, to an extent, that is._

By the time they'd reached the end of the forested trail, only fifteen minutes had passed since they'd met their guide in the town square. They reached Shabboneau Castle and the forest abruptly _vanished_ – the trees pressing in close to either side of them simply parted to reveal a vast clearing dominated by an old stone castle almost a hundred feet high. Just by looking at the enormous structure, Volan could instantly tell that the castle walls were extremely thick and solid, and only by looking up at the battlements could he easily imagine there once being cannons and ballistae set up all along the top of the wall to repel any oncoming threat. Flags bearing the same coat of arms he'd seen before waved proudly from the heights of the castle. Down below, there was a wide moat encircling the sturdy stone construction, its clear waters betraying the sight of Carvanha and Basculin swimming lazily about.

Volan remembered the sight of Team Plasma's castle, seemingly such a long time ago. It had been a magnificent sight to behold despite what it represented, and both the similarities and differences to the castle here at Camphrier Town were striking. Both were imposing and regal, but Shabboneau Castle was heavily fortified where the Plasma castle was elaborate, and focused more on function than appearance – or rather, that was the impression Volan got. Ironic for Kalos, where style and beauty reigned supreme, he thought.

As the karate man approached Shabboneau Castle with his three followers close behind, there was an immense grinding, creaking sort of sound. The drawbridge began to lower, its iron chains clanking as it opened up to let the four cross the carnivorous fish-infested moat. Their shoes tapped audibly against the wooden surface, which soon became stone as they passed under the arch and found themselves inside the castle itself.

The first thing Volan thought of was stone. It wasn't only the thick walls, but the castle interior as well that had been built up out of carefully constructed rock. He was no geology expert, of course, but the Gurei boy got the feeling that only the toughest and densest kind of rock had been selected for the construction of this veritable fortress.

"Looks more like some kind of old military base than a castle," remarked Thrin, basically summing up Volan's first impression of the place in a single sentence.

Their tour guide was only too happy to clarify things. "Well you see, even though Kalos was ruled by a single king, there were many smaller parts of the kingdom each ruled individually by a lord, a duke, et cetera. They'd always fight amongst each other, so they spent their wealth more on building up their castles' defenses than on comforts. In the case of Shabboneau Castle, the outer walls and first two floors were built with this in mind. The floors up above are more comfortable for our current Lord Shabboneau and his staff to reside in."

Nodding thoughtfully, Volan walked over to a wall to closely examine a tapestry hanging above a decorative table. As the karate man had said, this place had been reconfigured into a museum, and it showed. All around this first floor, as far as he could see, various examples of old Kalosian history were lined up along the walls for tourists to marvel at. Fine china was lined up on a fine tablecloth near where he stood, portraits of past rulers of Shabboneau Castle hung from the wall farther down, sparkling jewelry and gaudy clothing were displayed on mannequins, and there were a dozen other various trinkets and furnishings to represent Kalos' long and rich history.

Normally, Volan wasn't too big a fan of history, but he could not deny that this place had him fascinated.

"That tapestry?" the karate man said, nodding to the one Volan was positioned in front of. "It was woven for an honored guest from Sinnoh, a lord who ruled over part of that region at the time, who came to visit this castle when it was being attacked. They helped defend the castle against its enemies, and the man who was Lord Shabboneau at the time provided them with the medical attention necessary after the battle was won. They then presented the lord with three important gifts in thanks."

Spun into the tapestry's fibres was the image of three men bestowing gifts upon a regally-dressed figure that Volan supposed was the lord of the castle. The three items were different colors and radiated with light, at least as they were portrayed in the tapestry.

"How important were they?" Volan questioned, keeping it down to an almost reverent murmur as he regarded the artist's rendition of what had surely been a momentous occasion.

"The three items had been crafted in honor of the Legendary Pokemon of the three lakes in Sinnoh," was his reply. "It was rumored that the visiting lord was in direct contact with the three Pokemon and received guidance from them. So these gifts were treated with great reverence for as long as they've been kept here."

Thrin and Trevor had heard the story and walked up to check the tapestry out for themselves, silently gazing upon the picture of the noble lord receiving the special items from his fellow ruler. Each of them was transfixed by a different item – Thrin studied the blue one, which seemed to be a bracelet, and Trevor kept his eyes on the pink necklace. Meanwhile, Volan thought that he liked the third item, a yellow crown, most of all.

Of course, the colors most likely corresponded to each of the three Legendaries they were designed in honor of. He recognized them from his previous studies on Pokemon mythology back in Unova. The yellow was probably Uxie, the pink was Mesprit, and that left the blue to be Azelf. Volan had a strange interest in this legend of the Sinnohan Lake Trio – as they were collectively called – because the three represented the concepts of knowledge, emotion, and willpower, similarly to how Reshiram and Zekrom represented truth and ideals. Not as broad or all-encompassing such as, say, Dialga and Palkia's supposed mastery of time and space, but rather these specific concepts that were a part of human nature.

"They're h-here, you said?" asked Trevor. "The gifts granted to this castle from the Sinnohan l-lord, I mean."

"Yes, right up on the second floor," replied their guide.

"Oh, and that reminds me," Thrin suddenly spoke up, drawing the man's attention toward her next. "Is there anything you can tell us about Mega Evolution?"

The karate man brought his hand up to rub the back of his neck in a rather sheepish manner. "To tell the truth, you're not the first group of kids to ask me that. There were some before you that were interested in the topic."

 _That would be Calem and the others,_ mused Volan, _looking for information on Mega Evolution to give Professor Sycamore just as we are._

Continuing, the karate man went on, "That's not a term I'm too familiar with. It's been a while since I last heard it, but I do know that it has something to do with Kalos's history. Actually, while we're on the topic, there's something here you might be interested in if you've come here looking for stuff about Mega Evolution. Follow me, please?"

As per his request, the group of three trailed behind him once more as he went to the other side of the room and opened a door that led to a staircase. Their footsteps echoed hollowly in the chamber as their feet struck the stone steps, providing a steady rhythm of resonating beats that stopped once they reached the second floor.

The guide ushered them through the door and led them straight to the far wall, where a few stained-glass windows still remained intact even after hundreds upon hundreds of years. The one that Volan, Thrin, and Trevor now stood before, however, was a particularly fascinating one. It depicted a tall red Pokemon with what resembled ropes of fire extending from its dark-colored arms, and above it was a round symbol with a multicolored flame pattern in the middle of it.

"I've seen that symbol before," Volan voiced his thoughts aloud upon seeing that particular detail on the stained glass. "I can't remember precisely where… maybe at Professor Sycamore's lab? I'm not sure."

"And that Pokemon isn't something I recognize," noted Thrin, wrinkling her nose.

"I believe it's supposed to be a Blaziken," said the karate man. "But it's definitely not like any I've ever seen. It could be connected to Mega Evolution, but I don't know for sure. You'd have to go to Shalour City to find out more – a huge part of their history has to do with Mega Evolution, actually."

 _Shalour City again._ Volan kept hearing that name, so it sounded like an important place to be. It seemed to be the biggest lead they had on Mega Evolution information. It made him wonder why Professor Sycamore had never thought of going there himself. Perhaps his current research on the subject made him too busy to take that trip, and that was why he was relying on Volan and the rest.

Once they'd examined the window for a short while, the karate man led them off to another part of the room. He didn't say to where he was leading them, but it came as no surprise to Volan when he stopped in front of a small table displaying three very precious items. Like the other displays, this table was roped off to prevent people from touching.

The trio stilled, hushed into awed silence at the sight of what lay before them.

Hands shaking as he brought out his camera, Trevor whispered what they were all thinking. "These are the treasures from the tapestry downstairs."

-.-.-.-.-.

 **I feel almost like Kalos and Alola are two sides of the same coin. Kalos has a lot of history interspersed throughout the region with its various old buildings, while Alola is more about keeping the old traditions and cultures alive, rather than the actual historic sites. Aesthetics-wise and lore-wise, Kalos and Alola are probably my favorite regions for this reason.**

 **Even though I spent the majority of this chapter setting up some plot for the next couple of chapters and explaining about Kalos history, I still fit in some important details. The Lake Trio Treasures will be further explained, and Volan's recurring nightmare as well…**

 **So what's happening in Camphrier Town, you may ask? You'll have to find out in the next chapter! Please send your reviews, my dear readers!**

 **Next chapter:** **The Lord's Dilemma**

 **Chapter Question #20: In terms of design, who's your favorite player character?**

 **I've always liked Hilbert and Hilda, the MCs of Black/White. Nate and Rosa from B2/W2 as well.**

 **-.-.-.-.-.**

 **Volan's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Edgar (Murkrow, male)  
** **Ability: Super Luck**

 **Piper (Fletchinder, female)  
** **Ability: Flame Body**

 **Majesty (Combee, female)  
** **Ability: Honey Gather**

 **Thrin's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Akuma (Vivillon, male)  
** **Ability: Compound Eyes**

 **Claire (Froakie, female, shiny)  
** **Ability: Protean**

 **Gulp (Bellsprout, female)  
** **Ability: Chlorophyll**


	27. The Lord's Dilemma

**_Chapter 25 – The Lord's Dilemma_**

 **Last time on "Flight of a Legend"…**

 **Volan awoke from a terrible nightmare that involved the elusive girl from Santalune Forest as well as the abrupt loss of his loved ones. After talking about it to his Pokemon, Volan joined Thrin and Trevor for their first day in the historic Camphrier Town. However, their tour was cut short when they had to stop a rampaging Machamp, and the Fighting-type's owner thanked them by taking them to Shabboneau Castle for a tour. But it was apparent that something about Camphrier Town was slightly amiss.**

-.-.-.-.-.

Upon visiting Shabboneau Castle after stopping the museum curator's delirious Machamp from rampaging, Volan and his friends found their guide leading them toward three precious items. The karate man had explained to them that the items were gifts to one of the past Lord Shabboneaus from a grateful visitor from the Sinnoh region, and they were connected to the three Legendary Pokemon said to reside in Sinnoh's major lakes.

Now in the presence of these amazing treasures, Volan could not help but close his mouth and still his movements, enraptured by the beauty and power that radiated off of the items. He was too awed to do anything but stare, taking them in through wide eyes.

The gifts from long ago, of course, were far more detailed up close than they had been depicted on the tapestry on the first floor, where Volan, Thrin, and Trevor had first learned of them. On the left, the bracelet lay flat on a small wooden platform, formed by a thick band of silver edged in gold and attached at both ends to a rounded disc made of the same precious metal, the edges of which were encrusted with tiny gemstones. The loop had smooth oval-shaped rubies set every few centimeters along its length, and the disc part accommodated a similar ruby more than twice the size of the others.

In the center, there was the crown on top of a mannequin that consisted of only a head and shoulders. Like the bracelet, it was mostly silver trimmed with gold, with one tall peak in the middle and smaller peaks all around its circumference. Each peak had its own ruby, while the tallest peak had been decorated with a much larger one that stared out at whoever gazed at it like a huge red eye.

Finally, on the right, there was the necklace. It consisted of a thin, simple silver chain that wrapped loosely around a mannequin that resembled nothing more than a neck and collarbone. Five spikes of silver were attached to the chain at the front, each arrowhead-shaped protuberance being edged in gold similarly to the other treasures. The similarities did not end there, as the four outer spikes each contained a ruby while the center spike had one larger than the rest.

"They look alike," commented Thrin, her eyes flicking from one piece of jewelry to the next.

"Yes, the red stones were chosen for the design because they most resembled the Sinnoh lake Pokemon," said the guide. "While they weren't given any formal names by the Pokemon or the lord who bestowed them to the former owner of this castle, they've historically been called the Diadem of Knowledge, the Brace of Willpower, and the Pendant of Emotion."

When Thrin and Trevor left with their guide to explore other pieces of Kalos history a few minutes later, Volan remained behind to further examine the jewelry. The crown in particular held his interest. Normally he wasn't this captivated by old relics, but there was _something_ about it that fascinated him. The big red jewel in the center gleamed as he moved around to look at it from all angles, almost as if it was alive and watching him.

Indeed, Volan hadn't felt this interested in an artifact related to a Legendary Pokemon since… _the Light Stone_.

Remembering the dormant form of Reshiram that had momentarily hypnotized him and sent him sprawling on the ground in a daze, way back during the last time he'd visited Nacrene City's museum, effectively snapped him out of his peculiar fascination with the 'Diadem of Knowledge'. While he had ended up liking Reshiram, and honored (to a degree) that she'd chosen him to be the next White Hero, he didn't want to go through the same thing again. Associating oneself with a Legendary Pokemon would bring nothing but more trouble.

He turned away from the treasures and moved to follow Thrin and Trevor, who were now investigating a display of ornate shields once used by the ancient Kalosian military. But something stopped him dead in his tracks.

" ** _You have been chosen._** "

The voice was unlike Reshiram's had been. Whereas her words had seemed to come from within, these words sounded as though they were being spoken from all around him. They resonated intensely, making it sound as though there was more than once voice speaking. The foreboding tone of the speaker – combined with the aforementioned resonating effect – was enough to glue Volan's feet to the floor and send uncomfortable tingles up and down his spine. Goosebumps broke out on his skin, and he felt a terrible chill of fear.

After a second, the echoes died away, leaving only silence behind. Shivering, Volan slowly turned around to look back at the treasure. The crown's center jewel appeared to wink at him, or more likely, it was a trick of the light.

" ** _You and two others will stop the Crisis,_** " the voice intoned.

Volan flinched slightly at the suddenness with which it spoke up. He edged away, resisting the inexplicable pull that the crown had on his curiosity. He got the impression that this was Nacrene City all over again. But not exactly for that reason, the voice sounded oddly like one he had heard before, sometime recently…

" ** _Together, you are the Chosen Three,_** " it continued, speaking with a new urgency as if it sensed Volan's presence getting further away. " ** _The fate of this world is in your hands._** "

The voice surrounded him, causing Volan to shudder instinctively and shake his head. The way it rang in his ears from all directions was overwhelming, and more than that, it left him feeling vulnerable, like whoever was speaking was all around him and there was nowhere to run.

 _Chosen?_ he thought, his mind racing at the same speed as his heart rate. _For what? And me? To save the world? Haven't I already done that once? Why me?_

" ** _You are one of the Chosen Three,_** " echoed the voice, almost in answer to his frantic thoughts. " ** _You bear the Mark of Truth, my Chosen. You are he. He Who Has Knowledge._** "

Then, there was a strange sliding sensation that made Volan stumble. It felt like the floor was being tilted out from under him. A sound like rushing wind filled his ears, and then it was over. The voice, the being who reached out to him, whatever it was supposed to be… it had left, the very act of its leaving causing the universe to seemingly shift and bend around him.

"Volan?" came the familiar sound of Thrin's concerned tone. Her hand tightly clasped his shoulder.

He stumbled again, and shook his head one more time, this time to dispel a bout of dizziness that had seized him after his experience with the crown. Yes, he was sure that was it, the 'Diadem of Knowledge'.

"You okay?" his sister inquired. "I saw you stumble and almost fall. Is it the air in here? It does feel a little stuffy, doesn't it?"

Volan's bad arm itched something fierce, he noticed. It hadn't before, which was decidedly strange – normally the itch built up, and didn't hit him all at once, like it did now. Had the very fabric of time shifted around him, as well? Uncomfortably, Volan rolled his shoulder and flexed his arm back and forth, trying to relieve himself.

"I think I just need some fresh air," he told her, forcing himself to keep calm and not let any sign of weakness enter his voice. He swore he would tell her what he'd experienced later, when he had more time and less of an audience.

Glancing at Trevor and the karate man as they both came over to give him a concerned once-over, Volan said, "I'm just going to step outside for a few minutes. I just got a bit dizzy from the air in here, that's all. I'll come back in when I've recovered."

The three of them nodded understandingly, and without another word, Volan left them to continue their tour. He quickly descended the stairs and crossed the first floor, and made it back over the drawbridge and onto the forest path that led back to Camphrier Town.

Sucking a deep breath in through his nostrils, Volan felt slightly more invigorated as he took in the refreshing scent of clean forest air. His mind wandered back to the crown… he _knew_ the voice had been coming from that artifact.

Crisis.

Chosen Three.

And two new terms he hadn't heard before, Mark of Truth and He Who Has Knowledge.

What did it all mean? Volan didn't know, and it filled him with a feeling of distant dread.

Too caught up in his reflections to notice where he was going, he lightly bumped into someone coming the other way, and fell to the ground with a grunt. When he saw who it was who offered him their hand, Volan's fears and suspicions evaporated like morning mist.

He looked up to meet a pair of kind green eyes set above a beautiful smile.

Caitlin had found him.

-.-.-.-.-.

A pair of violet orbs snapped open as their owner gave a start, coming out of her trance. The girl shook her messy purple hair out of her face and blinked several times, momentarily forgetting everything about why she was here and what she'd just done.

When it inevitably came back to her seconds later, however, the fog of confusion lifted from her eyes and a slow grin spread across her face. She lowered her arms, allowing the dark crystal ball to slip out of her hands and roll onto the dirt in front of her.

"I knew it," she murmured, shoulders shaking with repressed laughter. "He is a Chosen after all. I _warned_ him, and now he's gone and sealed his fate…"

Somewhere off to her left, her Gengar materialized on the edge of the clearing, the shadows cast by the trees making its dark purple hide appear darker. Its face permanently stuck in a leering smirk, the Ghost-and-Poison-type gestured to another tree just across the clearing from the girl.

She raised her head to see what her Pokemon was pointing at. And there it was – a glaringly bright blotch of green standing out amidst the far more muted, natural greens of the Santalune Forest. Its single eye narrowed, giving it a slightly menacing appearance as it glowered down at her.

 _'_ _Tis a sad day when we must remind you to be careful about what you reveal!_ a high-pitched voice snapped.

The girl wobbled to her feet, arms swaying unsteadily as she flashed the green thing a borderline evil grin. "Maybe I still care about others enough to feel the need to warn them about what might happen if they continue on their current path."

 _The Chosen Three do not need to know until they are ready,_ the creature lectured. _Let them discover their destined role in the coming Crisis for themselves._

She dropped back into a kneeling position, taking her maddened eyes off of the thing to pick her crystal ball back up. Already engrossed in caressing its smooth surface with her talon-like nails, the girl whispered softly, "If that is what you wish…"

The little creature might have left immediately after that, or it might have stayed for another minute. She didn't know. She didn't care. She felt the same way about many things… including her original name. It hadn't been used in many years. And currently, she wouldn't have it any other way.

 _I'm not the one I once knew,_ she thought, her eyelids fluttering shut as she allowed herself to slip into another trance. _I am the One Who Knows… nothing more, and nothing less._

-.-.-.-.-.

Thrin and Trevor were following their tour guide, the karate gear-wearing manager of the museum taking up the first and second floors of Shabboneau Castle, when they received more company.

There they were, standing in front of a glass case that held several polished swords on display, when they heard a door open from elsewhere in the room. Bemused, they turned around to see an elderly, well-dressed figure exiting the stairwell. From the sharp, tailed suit and monocle, not to mention the combed grey hair and elegant manner in which he walked, they presumed that he was a butler of some kind. When the karate man saw him coming, he seemed to recognize the older man and moved to greet him.

"Master Yanis," the butler rasped, folding his arm in front of him and bending forward in a polite bow. "You are doing well, I trust?"

"As well as I'll ever be," the karate man – whose name was apparently Yanis – replied somewhat heavily. "What with the Harvest Festival being delayed and all…"

"Yes, yes," agreed the butler. "And while we're on the subject… eh? You have guests here at your establishment?"

Indeed, his wizened eyes had noticed Thrin and Trevor, who waved to him in greeting. They shared a glance at the butler's surprise – perhaps this place wasn't as popular with tourists as they'd assumed.

"They're Trainers," Yanis explained. "I'm showing them around as thanks for saving my Machamp after it went berserk from lack of sleep."

"Ah, I see," the butler replied huskily. After clearing his throat with a cough, he continued, "That is precisely the reason why Lord Shabboneau asked me to fetch you. He wishes to speak with you – and you young ones as well, if possible."

He directed the last part at Thrin and Trevor, who both jumped, shocked at the unexpected request. Neither of them had any problem with it, of course, but it was odd. Why would someone as important as the lord of this castle – who hadn't even met them, to boot – ask to see them?

The butler led them back into the stairwell, where they climbed about three more floors before exiting through a door. As they progressed upwards, the stairs gradually transformed from slightly rickety steel to plush and luxurious red, partially covered with a long blue carpet down the middle. Even the doors through which they passed were different, being a grand set of double doors instead of the far more mundane metal one with a knob they'd passed through downstairs.

After a long walk through a spectacular hallway decorated with many elaborate furnishings, paintings, and otherwise magnificent ornaments, the butler finally led them to a stone balcony that sat exposed to the elements on the side of the castle. Another staircase awaited, one that took them all the way to the top of the castle itself. When they got there, Thrin took a moment to admire the breathtaking view that allowed her to see all the way back to Camphrier Town if she wished, then turned her attention to the platform's sole occupant.

Peering over the battlements with a little telescope in hand was a short, plump man that was almost certainly Lord Shabboneau. He had grey hair with a matching moustache, and wore pompous clothing that would not look out of place on a stereotypical king, right down to the crown perched on his head. When the lord saw that he had visitors, he turned around with a boyish laugh and patted his hands together with delight.

"Presenting the current ruler of Shabboneau Castle, His Majesty Lord Shabboneau," the butler introduced, giving the lord a respectful bow.

The pudgy man excitedly hopped over to Thrin and Trevor and eagerly shook their hands. "Delighted, absolutely delighted!" he gushed, giving another laugh. "So good to meet such a fine pair of travelers visiting my lovely town! And at such a wonderful time of year!"

Before she could stop herself, Thrin questioned, "You mean the Harvest Festival? No offense, but I thought it was delayed for some reason."

She got a nudge from Trevor, who leaned his whitening face in close to speak in a trembling whisper. "Sh-Shouldn't you b-be speaking to h-him with m-more respect? Th-This is r-royalty, a-after all…"

"Pish-posh," Lord Shabboneau waved his hand dismissively. "My title is just a formality these days. I am only here to take care of this castle and all of its precious history."

"Sire, there is no need for such modesty," said the butler. "Your noble heritage proves that you are the rightful owner of Shabboneau Castle and Camphrier Town. Just because the monarchy no longer holds power over Kalos –"

"Oh, stuff it," the lord interrupted good-naturedly. He clapped his hands together, his focus now solely on Yanis and the two visitors. "Now, about that Harvest Festival… I'm afraid we have some troubling circumstances on our hands this year."

"Are you talking about what's causing the delay in the festivities?" asked Yanis, who took a step forward in his eagerness to know the answer.

Lord Shabboneau let out a long sigh, all previous excitement having vanished. "Sadly, I am… You see, young ones, the Harvest Festival has always been held in honor of a Snorlax that comes to Camphrier Town each year to eat up the roots left over from the harvest. This Pokemon is quite the big eater, as you may know, and in its immense hunger it churns up the dirt and ends up plowing the soil for next year's harvest."

With a frown, Thrin wracked her brain for any prior memory of a Pokemon with that name. She couldn't find any – it certainly wasn't native to Unova, that was for sure. But judging from Trevor's expression, he could recognize the Pokemon by name.

"But this year, Snorlax hasn't come at the usual time," Lord Shabboneau continued in a lamenting tone. "I've been looking high and low for it, and I've made a rather reassuring discovery!"

Instead of elaborating, the lord reached up to hand Yanis his telescope and directed him to the spot where he'd been standing before. The karate man leaned precariously over the battlements and stared into the forest with the telescope pressed firmly against his eye. A few seconds passed, and he suddenly jumped back, shock evident on his features.

Quickly, Thrin made to stand beside him and held her hand out for the telescope, which he bequeathed to her. She put it to her eye and examined that which was revealed to her, with Yanis putting his hands on either side of her head to direct her toward what he had seen. When he lifted his hands, Thrin was facing west.

There was a lot to see in the westward direction. From a height as lofty as the top of Shabboneau Castle, she could see for miles. The forest surrounding the castle gave way to a peaceful grassland that met the banks of an enormous, sparkling lake. On the edge of the lake, there was what looked like a fancy building standing tall and proud as the only noteworthy feature on the otherwise plain grassland. And even further to the west, way on the other side, was a mountain range whose peaks seemed to touch the sky.

"Aren't those…" Trevor murmured.

"Yes, the mountains that mark the next part of your journey, young ones," the lord's butler replied knowledgeably. "Beyond is the great Kalos Canyon, the Glittering Caves, and finally the Muraille Coast, across which you must travel to reach Cyllage City."

"Cyllage City has a Gym, doesn't it?" asked Trevor.

"Shhh!" Thrin fiercely shushed him. "I see something!"

Down below, about half a kilometer away from the castle, there was a narrow line through the trees that betrayed the presence of a river cutting through the forest that saturated the landscape around the castle. Through that gap in the otherwise featureless ocean of green, Thrin could just barely see a very large Pokemon sprawled out on its back, its immense belly rising and falling in a steady rhythm as it slept. It had chosen a wooden structure to take its nap on – the Gurei girl was willing to bet that was a bridge built to ensure safe passage for traveling Trainers across the river.

"Is that it?" she asked, without taking the telescope away. When no-one answered, she paused in her examination of the faraway Pokemon and turned back to face Trevor and the others. "That's the Snorlax?"

"Indeed!" confirmed Lord Shabboneau, clapping his hands enthusiastically. "As you can see, it has chosen quite the troublesome spot to rest in."

The butler added gravely, "We must go to see Snorlax and wake it up so it can partake in the Harvest Festival."

Yanis approached them and held out his hand to Thrin, who took the cue and gave him back the telescope. Folding the device and tucking it away within the folds of his karate gear, the man asked, "Lord Shabboneau, is this the reason why you've been insisting on postponing the Harvest Festival?"

The pudgy man drooped. "Yes, it is true," he despaired, all previous cheer seemingly draining out of him. "We simply can't have a festival without Snorlax! That's why I kept delaying it, day after day, holding out on the hope that Snorlax would eventually come."

But there was one thing Thrin didn't understand – why would it come all this way just to take a nap so close to Camphrier Town? It simply didn't make sense.

"Let's go and see Snorlax for ourselves, then," Yanis decided, starting toward the staircase. "We'll take a look at it and see what's wrong, and maybe we can even find a way to rouse it."

Thrin and Trevor smiled at each other and nodded. That was exactly what they'd been thinking as well. Once they woke it up, the people of Camphrier Town could have their festival.

As they followed Yanis back the way they'd come, however, they failed to notice Lord Shabboneau and his butler exchange a look – the former, a slightly panicked one, and the latter, one of vague disapproval.

-.-.-.-.-.

The strange party consisting of a lord, his servant, a museum curator, and two Pokemon Trainers ended up trekking through the forest in order to reach the bridge on which the Snorlax had parked itself. While Yanis and the butler wanted to head back to Camphrier Town and cut through the town square to reach Route 7 – which the river marked the border of – Lord Shabboneau would have none of it. He insisted that they forge their own path through the untamed forest rather than take the easier, yet more time-consuming, path through the town.

"Camphrier Town has always depended on Snorlax!" the pudgy lord passionately declared. "Just as in times long past, it is my duty to honor the partnership my humble town has with dear Snorlax! We leave at once to aid Snorlax as quickly as possible, and that is final!"

And thus, that was how Thrin and Trevor found themselves employing Flabébé and Gulp the Bellsprout to beat back the foliage that obstructed their chosen route every step of the way. The forest was thicker than what Thrin was used to, with the trees and foliage pressing in on all sides. While Gulp and Trevor's Flabébé cleared the way with repeated Vine Whips, Yanis and the butler carefully led Lord Shabboneau behind them.

Admirably, the diminutive man had wanted to lead them onwards despite the possibility of tearing his fancy clothes. They had been inherited from the many noble lords that had come before him, explaining why he valued them so highly. The fact that he was willing to risk bringing ruin to the robes of his predecessors spoke volumes about his desire to help Snorlax in any way he could, in honor of the long-standing symbiotic relationship that the Pokemon had with his town. But finally, he had conceded, and allowed the two Trainers to lead.

They could tell when they were getting close to the river when they heard the sound. Not the sound of rushing water, but another sound entirely.

"SNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRR!"

Thrin cried out and immediately slammed her hands over her ears, an action copied by everyone else present, the Pokemon included. But it did no good – there was simply no deadening the horrendous noise that seemed to shatter the sky and shake the very earth around them.

After several agonizing seconds that felt like hours to those who suffered, the sound died out and left many pairs of ringing ears in its wake.

Her head throbbing painfully, Thrin stood up straight and demanded, "Great Giratina, what was that?!"

"That," the butler replied matter-of-factly, "was Snorlax's snoring."

"That was painful!" she exclaimed, placing her fingers on her temples to soothe what was already starting to develop into a splitting headache. "Does it do that often?"

"Mostly after dark, unfortunately," sighed Yanis. "That's the reason a lot of folks in town – and my Machamp – have been sleep-deprived lately. And on that cheery note… we've arrived."

The bunch of them emerged from the suffocating underbrush and found themselves on a comparatively clean and well-managed forest path. While the forest was still thick enough to prevent all but the smallest pinpricks of sunlight to shine down upon the ground, it was not nearly as claustrophobic as the trek leading up to this point had been. And up ahead, just within viewing distance, was the bridge they had seen from the castle.

Laying sprawled out on top of the wooden construct like a living mountain was the Pokemon they'd been looking for, and Thrin had to say, she could certainly see how it had earned the name 'Snorlax'. Now that its obscenely loud snores had had subsided, she could hear how loud its rhythmic breaths were and how someone could easily mistake its ordinary breathing for snoring. Not to mention that it looked as if it had been contentedly asleep for weeks on end. There was also the fact that its protruding belly soared into the air a good foot or so above Thrin's own head, and that combined with its rounded form implied that it really didn't do anything other than sleep and eat.

"Hard to believe that something like this actually walked here all the way down from the mountains," Trevor said, dryly.

Hearing such dry humor coming from Trevor was not something Thrin was used to hearing from him, and she glanced at him with surprise. He noticed her looking and flushed bright red, shrinking back to his more familiar shy self with a wobbly grin directed at her.

Shaking her head with a little smirk, the Gurei girl took the time to inspect Snorlax more closely. When she stepped onto the bridge in order to get as close as possible to it, she saw that it was covered in layer of fur that was nearly invisible at a farther distance. She walked around to the head, noticing that it was several times smaller than the Normal-type's body with only a pair of pointy ears as a distinguishing feature.

When she pulled out her new Kalos Pokedex, its holographic screen expanded to show the information. It droned, " **Snorlax.** ** _Ursus narcolepsus._** **A Normal-type Sleeping Pokemon. Snorlax is infamous for its laziness, matched only by its immense appetite. Because of its habit of eating anything and everything, its immune system is strong enough to keep it healthy no matter what enters its stomach. Once it's eaten its daily average of eight hundred pounds of food, it will fall asleep immediately. Even when awake, it is docile enough to allow small children and Pokemon to play on its belly. Specimen is male with a power level of twenty-five. Known moves: Lick, Chip Away, Yawn, Body Slam. Ability: Thick Fat.** "

By the time the Pokedex was finished its exposition, Trevor had recovered from his brief bout of embarrassment and was regarding Snorlax with some kind of admiration. "Wow, what a fascinating Pokemon!" he enthused. "And the best part is, I can take its picture quite easily!"

Thrin and the residents of Shabboneau Castle watched him snap photos of Snorlax from different angles for a few seconds, then the mood turned more serious.

"So, can we please talk about the Mamoswine in the room?" Lord Shabboneau asked, then promptly went back to adjust the phrase. "I mean, well, the Snorlax on the bridge? Namely, how we're going to wake it up?"

At this, the butler stepped forward and opened his mouth, but Yanis beat him to it. Thrin gave the elderly man a curious look, wondering what he'd been about to say.

"We always knew Snorlax was in the area, just from the snoring alone," Yanis mused aloud, thoughtfully poking the giant Pokemon's foot. "But we weren't sure where, and why it wasn't coming into town for the festival as usual."

Snorlax's foot twitched a bit at his touch, and it let out a deep yawn while raising an arm to idly scratch its belly.

Once again, the butler tried to say something, but this time it was Lord Shabboneau who interrupted him – with an almost suspicious level of hastiness, Thrin noticed.

"I've got it!" he cheered. "Young girl, boy, you are Pokemon Trainers, are you not? Why don't you use your no doubt excellently-trained Pokemon to attack Snorlax? Surely it will awaken!"

Nervously, Thrin and Trevor looked to the lord and then to each other, then back again. It was as plain as day that they both held reservations about attacking a slumbering Pokemon, but really, it's not like either of them had any better ideas.

"Well, if it works…" Thrin finally conceded. "Gulp, come out and help!"

"I-I'll try too," Trevor added. "Charmander, go!"

The plant and lizard Pokemon appeared in front of their respective masters when the Poke Balls opened, both already having sensed the reason why they'd been called out and now standing in battle-ready positions. Snorlax gave no indication that it knew what was going on, its vast belly continually rising and falling.

"Gulp, we need to wake Snorlax up," Thrin explained to the Bellsprout for context. "Let's use Vine Whip!"

"And Charmander, you use Metal Claw!" ordered Trevor.

Giving confident battle cries, the two Pokemon leapt at their unmoving target. Gulp's vines slithered out in less than an instant and began whacking away at Snorlax's body, and Charmander's paws turned into metallic gloves with savage claws that he then swiped at the Normal-type's fur. They landed on the ground in an aggressive pose, neither of them dispelling their weapons of choice in case of a retaliation from Snorlax.

But as the seconds passed, it became clear that there would be no retaliatory attack coming. There wasn't even any disturbance in the rhythm in which Snorlax breathed – its belly simply continued to rise and fall, having completely slept through the short all-out assault.

With a frustrated facepalm, Yanis groaned, "Of course that didn't work. I feel like an idiot for getting my hopes up, too."

Lord Shabboneau waddled closer to Snorlax to see if he could find any signs of damage. "Oho!" he exclaimed, evidently finding exactly that. "Here we go! You did quite a number on Snorlax, young ones! Surely if you continue to attack it, it will wake up!"

Again, Thrin got the feeling that the pudgy lord was being oddly eager, almost bordering on desperate. It was like he wanted them to attack Snorlax, completely disregarding what he had said earlier about his dedication to the Pokemon and its relationship with his town…

"You may want to take another look, sire," rasped the butler, also approaching Snorlax to study its injuries. "These wounds could not have been inflicted by such small Pokemon – no offense intended to our young friends, here."

He was right. When Thrin peered more closely at Snorlax's hide, it did indeed sport some wounds, but there was no way that Gulp and Charmander could have dealt them. The cuts and bruises that the Gurei girl found, however, did look as though they'd been inflicted recently. Snorlax could have gotten into a fight with another Pokemon before it got here.

Actually, now that Thrin thought about it, that explanation made a lot of sense.

"That might be why it went to sleep on this bridge," she stated, causing Yanis to divert his attention toward her. "It was probably exhausted from these wounds and wanted to sleep them off before finishing its journey to Camphrier Town."

"You may be right," Yanis agreed. But, frowning, he added, "That still doesn't explain how we can wake it up, though. Who knows how much longer it'll remain here? The townsfolk won't just suffer from more sleepless nights, but the festival will also be further delayed."

Lord Shabboneau and his butler both opened their mouths to speak, but this time, it was the butler who pressed on before anyone else could get a word in.

"Now, sire," he spoke directly to Lord Shabboneau. His words were spoken in a lecturing, almost scolding, tone, which surprised Thrin. "You and I know perfectly well that there exists another solution to this problem. Bringing us here pre-emptively and attempting half-measures you're fully aware won't work is an unnecessary inconvenience."

Thrin – and Trevor as well, for that matter – could only stare, stunned, as Lord Shabboneau remained expressionless for all of two seconds before finally sagging with a defeated look on his face.

"Yes, yes, I suppose you're right," he admitted guiltily. "You see, young ones, there exists a special item called a Poke Flute that has the ability to wake up Snorlax."

"I've heard of those," Yanis said with sudden recognition. "They're supposed to be quite rare items."

"Yes, yes," the lord said again, just as sadly. He let out a heavy sigh and went on, "I, too, had a Poke Flute. It was a priceless family heirloom passed down amongst the Shabboneau family for generations. I would always play it as part of the Harvest Festival celebration we held in Snorlax's honor. But it's gone now."

There were actually tears welling in his eyes. Thrin felt a pang strike her in the heart, probably of empathy. Lord Shabboneau was clearly hurting over whatever had happened to his prized item.

"So… what happened to it?" Trevor asked quietly.

After giving his butler a permissive glance, who nodded encouragingly, Lord Shabboneau revealed, "It was taken by my good friend from Parfum Palace."

A light dawned in Yanis' eyes just then, and he let out a long groan. "Oh no…" he lamented. "Please tell me it has nothing to do with that lunatic kid of his."

His expression one of regret, Lord Shabboneau replied with a simple nod, which caused Yanis to groan even more loudly. This time, the exasperated sound was accompanied by a big show of him burying his face in his hands.

 _Is he just being dramatic, or are we getting into something terrible enough to actually justify his reaction?_ Thrin thought, feeling like there was something she was missing.

Fortunately, the butler caught sight of her and Trevor's confused faces, and coughed to get their attention. Yanis and Lord Shabboneau both caught the hint and stayed quiet so that the two Trainers could be brought up to speed.

"You see, Parfum Palace was owned by the royal family of Kalos, once upon a time," the butler said, and Lord Shabboneau nodded along as if to confirm the servant's words. "It's built near the same lake as the Battle Chateau is farther along this very path, and was meant to be a place of luxury for the king and his relations."

"Kind of like a summer home, or something," guessed Thrin.

"Quite," the butler replied with a wry smile. "Of course, when the monarchy ended about three thousand years ago and Lumiose City was rebuilt after the war, the royal family made Parfum Palace their permanent home. And so it has remained to this day."

"The current owner of Parfum Palace is my very good friend," Lord Shabboneau continued for his butler, still sounding sad. "So when he came to me last week, all in a tizzy because he had forgotten to get his daughter a gift for her birthday, I just couldn't say no when he requested the Poke Flute. He really does love his little girl…"

"Even though she's completely out of control," muttered Yanis. "She's let her posh life at the palace and her royal background get to her head."

"Surely there's a way to get the Poke Flute back," Trevor reasoned, his mouth set in a deep frown as he tried to think of a good solution. "P-Perhaps… we could find something equally rare and valuable to exchange for the Poke Flute?"

Based on the way Lord Shabboneau and the butler exchanged uncertain glances, Thrin and Trevor assumed that it was unlikely to work. Silence ensued as everyone each wracked their brains for a better way to obtain the Poke Flute. All the while, Snorlax's deep breaths blended in with the sounds of the forest and the river's running water.

Just then, Lord Shabboneau's eyes brightened, which did not go unnoticed by Thrin. It appeared as though he'd just gotten an idea.

"Eureka!" he whooped. He pounded a fist into his palm and excitedly went on, "I've just recalled that my dear friend at Parfum Palace mentioned that he would be putting on a Pokemon battle tournament later today for his daughter's birthday! If you young Trainers were to enter and win, perhaps you could request the Poke Flute from him in return!"

While Yanis and the butler nodded to themselves, finding the idea reasonable, Thrin was less than convinced. She didn't know the guy who owned Parfum Palace, and even though Lord Shabboneau clearly liked and trusted him, she wasn't sure if she could do the same.

"Do you really think that'll work?" she asked him, a tad skeptically.

"I-I think it's worth a shot," Trevor offered before Lord Shabboneau could answer. "Asking someone for a favor could never hurt, right? A-And anyway, I've always wanted to participate in a tournament."

Despite his positive answer, Thrin still didn't feel entirely behind the idea. "You do have a point," she said, cautiously. "But…"

"Splendid!" beamed Lord Shabboneau, hopping up and down like an excited toddler. "I am forever in your debt, young Trainers! With the Poke Flute back in my hands, the Harvest Festival can finally commence and Snorlax will no longer be blocking this bridge for travelers!"

Taken aback by his sudden interjection, Thrin blinked a couple of times before settling down. There wasn't anything she could do about it now – their new course of action was set. Their next destination was Parfum Palace, to retrieve the Poke Flute for the good of Camphrier Town.

She glanced at Snorlax, still sleeping peacefully on the bridge despite its injuries. Whatever had happened to the Normal-type, such a twist of fate had ended up causing trouble for everyone. Despite her reservations about how well their errand at Parfum Palace would go, she couldn't help but confess to herself that it was the right thing to do.

"First thing's first," she told Trevor, as the duo headed down the main road toward Camphrier Town. "Let's collect Volan and tell him about everything that's been going on. Then, we'll head to Parfum Palace and speak to the owner about giving the lord's Poke Flute back."

Hey, in Trevor's words – it was worth a shot.

-.-.-.-.-.

 **I went with the name of a random Black Belt from the games when deciding on what to call the 'tour guide' other than "karate man".**

 **So this chapter's a bit different in that Volan's out of it for the most part, but there's some pretty important stuff happening anyway. Thrin and Trevor find out the truth about what's happening in Camphrier Town, namely about the Harvest Festival and the cranky sleep-deprived Machamp from the last chapter. Not to mention, the creepy ghost-girl from before seems to know about Volan and the treasure, and most importantly… Caitlin's back!**

 **Lord Shabboneau: "Oh, please do send your finest reviews!"**

 ** _Ursus narcolepsus_** **= "narcoleptic bear"**

 **Next chapter:** **Date at the Harvest Festival**

 **Chapter Question #21: What's your favorite episode of the Gen 1 anime?**

 **"** **Attack of the Prehistoric Pokemon" and "The Flame Pokemon-athon" will always have special places in my heart.**

 **-.-.-.-.-.-.**

 **Volan's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Edgar (Murkrow, male)  
** **Ability: Super Luck**

 **Piper (Fletchinder, female)  
** **Ability: Flame Body**

 **Majesty (Combee, female)  
** **Ability: Honey Gather**

 **Thrin's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Akuma (Vivillon, male)  
** **Ability: Compound Eyes**

 **Claire (Froakie, female, shiny)  
** **Ability: Protean**

 **Gulp (Bellsprout, female)  
** **Ability: Chlorophyll**


	28. Date at the Harvest Festival

**_Chapter 26 – Date at the Harvest Festival_**

 **Last time on "Flight of a Legend"…**

 **The owner of Shabboneau Castle's museum, Yanis, showed Volan and the group a trio of important artifacts from Kalos' past – one of which caused Volan to have an unnervingly familiar sensation. When he left to clear his head, Thrin and Trevor became wrapped up in a dilemma affecting all of Camphrier Town, involving Lord Shabboneau and the Snorlax that was supposed to come for the annual Harvest Festival. Upon learning that the Poke Flute used to wake up Snorlax was at Parfum Palace, Thrin and Trevor prepared to get it back for the good lord's sake.**

-.-.-.-.-.

A pair of the loveliest green eyes imaginable kindly stared down at Volan as their owner presented her delicate hand to him. A soft smile quirked the edges of her lips upwards, making it clear she found his current predicament amusing even though she was far too polite to say so out loud. Far from being offended, Volan could only offer the maiden standing before him a smile of his own in return. He reached out with his own hand, and a wave of heat coursed through his body when he felt her gentle fingers brush against his.

Said fingers intertwined with his to clasp the hand firmly, and with a burst of strength, she helped pull him back onto his feet. He ended up directly in front of her, their eyes perfectly level and their noses touching ever so slightly.

 _We're the same height now,_ a voice in the back of his spellbound mind whispered. _Before, she was slightly taller._

Her smile grew, while her grip on his hand tightened.

Volan smiled back, feeling another wave of heat flash through him before culminating in his cheeks, doubtlessly staining them bright pink. A gentle rush of air lightly tickled his face as the girl before him let out a soft exhale, her cheeks coloring to match his.

Neither of them said anything, feeling content for now to bask in each other's presence. As the moments ticked by in silence, her hand let go of his in order to join the other one she was now intimately trailing up his chest. They stopped at his neck to rest lightly against his collarbone, her thumbs lovingly caressing the exposed skin.

All of this transpired without either of them looking away from the other's eyes.

"Hi," Caitlin breathed in Unovan, her beautiful smile never fading.

"Hi," Volan replied just as quietly. He switched to his native language with natural ease, even after all this time speaking in Kalosian among his friends – being with Caitlin again just drew it out of him, as if it had been waiting to greet her for all this time.

Oh, it had, Volan knew. It definitely had.

His beloved dipped her head until their foreheads met. She shuffled closer, her arms slithering further upwards until she'd hooked them around the back of his neck. Volan reached out with his good hand to touch her face, and she was so close that he could _feel_ her breath hitch when he made contact.

"I missed you," Caitlin told him. She leaned her head slightly toward his hand and let out a little hum.

"I missed you more," Volan couldn't help but insist.

The two of them couldn't help but share a quiet laugh before they once again lapsed into silence. They wanted to savor this – the feeling of finally being able to hold and caress one another after two years of separation. And so they did, holding their intimate embrace in the middle of the pathway for several more long, perfect seconds.

Volan felt something change inside of him. As Caitlin's unbelievably soft hands moved up his neck to lovingly cup his cheeks, he knew his heart was swelling with emotion. Everything would be alright now that she was here, he knew… it was like a missing piece had been found and clicked into place. Caitlin was here with him again, and he felt complete.

He loved her. Oh, how he loved her.

Finally, Caitlin withdrew, although she kept her hands on his shoulders so she wouldn't have to let go of him entirely. Volan took this time to look at her, _really_ look at her, as she was no doubt doing to him. Of course, she wore her usual pink gown with matching hat and shoes, and had her curly blond hair in its usual peacock-tail style. Her jade eyes were exactly as Volan remembered them. But despite having hardly changed her outward appearance, there was still something… different about her. It may have been Volan's imagination, but she somehow looked more… mature, less like the teenaged girl he'd dated in Unova and more like a proper young woman.

 _She's still beautiful,_ he thought, turning the same shade of pink as her gown as he took in the sight of his girlfriend standing only an arm's length away from him.

But then, he noticed that she was no longer smiling. Rather, her expression had turned from wistful to shocked and vaguely horrified, staring at something around his chest level. Volan glanced down – and immediately noticed the bone-white cast covering his right arm.

 _Oh._

"Volan…" she finally whispered. Her eyes rose to meet his again, and his heart clenched with guilt when he saw the heartbroken look she gave him. "What on earth happened to you? Are you okay?"

"Y-Yes, yes I am," Volan responded immediately, taking her hand comfortingly in one of his own. "Caitlin, I swear I'm fine. You don't have to worry. A few more visits to the Pokemon Center and I'll be as good as new."

He tried to grin reassuringly at her, but it faded when the concern in her eyes refused to die. She squeezed his hand and reached out with the other to lightly run her fingers over his cast, staring at it distantly, like she wasn't sure if it was real or not.

"Thrin, our friends, and I were confronted by a group of evildoers at Professor Sycamore's lab in Lumiose City," he told her.

She glanced up, and he immediately knew from one look into her wide jade orbs of whom she was thinking. _Team Plasma_.

"We've run into them a few times already – Team Flare," he explained further. He saw Caitlin's gaze harden at the possibility of a new criminal enterprise wreaking havoc, and he smiled grimly. "They're not like Team Plasma at all. They dress in the most flamboyant-looking suits and we don't know anything about their plans, but… they're no joke. We first met them when they were trying to steal a rare Pokemon, and then we just kept running into them."

"So you're not actively going after them," Caitlin murmured, as though she was using the statement to quash some inner fear.

Thinking back to their time together in Unova, Volan remembered that Caitlin had been against his role in the war with Team Plasma. She cared for him deeply, and had only wanted him to be safe. She'd wished that he hadn't been chosen as the White Hero so she wouldn't have to fear for his safety. And now that he'd revealed the existence of another group of crooks to her, she was fearing that he'd try to be a hero again.

"Of course not," he assured her, tilting her chin up so that they were looking into each other's eyes once again. "Caitlin, believe me, I don't want to be caught up in all of that chaos again."

A nasty, worrying thought occurred to him just then, and he frowned. "Although… honestly, I'm not so sure it'll be easy to avoid Team Flare. After our first meeting with them, they said things that made it seem as though they'd be keeping an eye on us, or… or hunting us down. Like I said, they're not Team Plasma. I think they already see Thrin and I as potential threats, and –"

Then another, more horrifying thought occurred to him midsentence, and he stopped. "And… Caitlin, you wanted to travel together, right? Then that means they'll be coming after you, too, and you'll be in just as much danger as me. Oh Arceus, I only wanted to spend time with you on this journey, and now –"

Volan suddenly found his increasingly panicked rant cut off by a pair of comforting arms thrown around his neck, and soft, soft lips pressing against his cheek.

Immediately, he felt calm, his heart rate going back to normal and his worries simply ceasing to be. Caitlin removed her lips from his skin and gave him a smile so tender and warm that it made his heart melt.

"It's okay," she said, and kissed him again, on the same spot. "We're powerful Trainers, Volan. You placed fourth in the Unova League, and… you know what I am. I'm not afraid of this Team Flare as long as we're together, and as long as you don't go chasing after them because you're convinced it's your destiny, or something silly like that."

She giggled, a sound that was always music to Volan's ears, and playfully tapped him on the nose. He laughed along with her and, emboldened by her teasing, leaned forward to peck her on the cheek in return.

But a twinge of guilt made him falter, his smile twitching as it threatened to fall completely.

Caitlin was only joking with him about being destined to stop Team Flare, and if circumstances were different, he'd have joined right in.

These weren't the right circumstances, however. She didn't know what he knew – she hadn't been told what he had been told.

" _Do you find it… odd that Team Flare only appears when you begin your journey, Volantes?_ "

" _You have been chosen. You and two others will stop the Crisis. Together, you are the Chosen Three._ "

The words spoken by the creepy girl and the… the Diadem of Knowledge – it was hard for him to admit that, on the grounds that he could hardly believe it – came back to him at that moment, only making him more uncertain and adding to the guilt that tugged at his heart. Caitlin was so convinced that his days of following prophecies and defeating megalomaniacs were over… but he wasn't.

As long as those words haunted him, he wouldn't be.

Marvelous jade eyes blinked at him, bringing him back to reality. Caitlin observed him with concern written all over her beautiful face, and asked, "Volan? Is everything okay?"

He faltered, but managed to conjure up a sheepish little smile for her. "I-It's fine. I… I mean, um, what you said earlier…"

She moved closer. Their noses were touching again, but he hardly noticed – her worried face took up his entire field of vision, and it was all he could see. Caitlin was worried about him. The guilt came back, and he instinctively wanted to know how he could fix it.

"Did I remind you… of Team Plasma?" she whispered to him. "Of what we went through two years ago? The uncertainty… the nonstop fighting… th-the…"

"Near-death experiences?" he finished for her, and her breath hitched again as he spoke the words.

In the next second, her arms were back around his neck, and her hands were reaching up to clutch at his head while she pressed her forehead to his once more. Her hair fell forwards, covering his face as well as hers. He held onto her waist for balance, unconsciously bringing her into an embrace where her body was leaning against his. They were already closer than they'd ever been in the past two years, and it filled Volan with a strange combination of delight and fear that made his heart race.

"It was hard," Caitlin breathed, her lips so close that they brushed against his as she spoke. The not-quite-contact made a delicious thrill run through his bones, so much so that he almost couldn't hear what she was saying.

"It was hard seeing you lying in that bed in the Pokemon Center," she continued, "knowing that you were only alive because Reshiram intervened. I didn't want to lose you so soon after we'd confessed our feelings. I was so afraid, thinking of what had been so close to becoming a reality…"

Volan slid his hands up her waist until he was clutching her face, and she barely had any time to gasp before he leaned forward and pressed a forceful kiss to her mouth. She quieted instantly and pushed forward to reciprocate. Their bad thoughts dissolved into nothingness, neither of them thinking of anything but each other, and how perfectly their lips molded together to share their warmth… momentarily sliding back, only to find a new position and immediately deepen the kiss again, both of them humming blissfully…

There was a quiet smacking sound as they surfaced, their chests heaving as they replenished themselves on fresh air. Volan was grinning again, and to his joy, Caitlin was as well.

"Thank you," she bid him. "I really needed that…"

"It's all in the past," he replied encouragingly. "Now, it's only you and me. Let's enjoy ourselves, okay?"

"Okay," she giggled.

They drew away from each other, their hands leaving each other's bodies for the first time since they'd been reunited. Volan's cast arm returned to its familiar position against his chest, while he extended the other to intertwine his fingers with Caitlin's. Content with this much simpler, yet more comfortable and familiar, gesture of affection, they walked hand-in-hand down the path in the direction of Camphrier Town.

"So?" Caitlin broke the silence, turning her hopeful smile to the Gurei boy. "You mentioned you were on a journey again last time we spoke. Have you caught new Pokemon for your team?"

A flash of inspiration came to Volan the moment she said the words. He hadn't introduced her to his new team yet! A giddy little rush of excitement came with the realization. He hastened to unclip the three Poke Balls on his belt and open them one at a time, introducing each Pokemon as they appeared.

"First is Edgar," he said with a gesture to the Murkrow. "I may have mentioned him to you before – he's been hanging around my house a while before joining my team officially."

Nodding, Caitlin reached out to let Edgar peck at her fingers and then hop onto her arm. She scratched under his beak like she'd done with Bernice once or twice, and he closed his eyes to enjoy the treatment.

"Yes, I do recall you telling me about him once," she replied as she pampered the Dark-and-Flying-type. Taking her fingers away, she added somewhat teasingly, "I hear you'd been quite the troublemaker before Volan straightened you out."

" _What can I say?_ " Edgar shrugged, opening his eyes now that she was done. " _Our mutual acquaintance is a talented guy. 'Course, in your case, dere's no denyin' dat he's a bit more dan an acquaintance, if youse knows what I mean._ "

Noticing how Volan blushed faintly and coughed a bit to cover it up, Caitlin made the correct assumption astonishingly quick. "You can understand him already? Reshiram said that you could only understand Pokemon you've closely bonded with, hadn't she? That means you and Edgar must be very close already."

" _Shrewd chick,_ " commented Edgar. He flew to Volan's shoulder and told him, " _Do youseself a favor and keep her, yeah?_ "

"I don't need you giving out dating advice, thanks," he replied, to which Caitlin had a small giggling fit. "Back in the ball with you, wise guy."

When Edgar had been recalled, Volan sent out his next team member for Caitlin to meet. "This is Piper," he introduced her to the Fletchinder. "She's an independent one, but we're getting better with teamwork."

" _Let's not get ahead of ourselves,_ " Piper said dryly, although all Caitlin heard was "Chindah."

The maiden reached out again and, after letting Piper investigate her hand for a bit, stroked the songbird Pokemon's head feathers while she was still on her master's shoulder. She chirped happily at Caitlin's touch, which was delicate enough to not even stir a single feather out of alignment. She leaned her head forward to encourage Caitlin to keep stroking, shivering her wings happily and cooing with contentment.

"This is the first time I've seen her so compliant," Volan remarked, observing how at ease Piper seemed. "Normally she keeps more of a respectful distance. What did you do to bewitch her?"

"Same thing I did to bewitch _you_ ," Caitlin retorted lightly, giving him the smile she knew full well he couldn't resist.

That was true, and Volan knew it. All it had taken for her to win his heart was to show him kindness when he was down.

" _I approve,_ " Piper spoke up to him. " _Keep her._ "

He huffed as he returned her to the safety of her ball, feeling the heat rising in his cheeks again. He felt it was lucky he couldn't yet understand Majesty, or else he'd have to put up with more snide comments if she decided to give them. Although, he admittedly couldn't see the Combee teasing him… she seemed much more professional than the other two.

Speaking of which…

"And this is Majesty, my most recent catch," Volan said, letting the Combee out of her ball so Caitlin could admire her. "We haven't had the opportunity to do much battling together, unfortunately, but we're going to work on that soon. Aren't we, Majesty?"

"Combeebee," she replied affirmatively, bowing.

"She's cute," Caitlin said, cupping her hand underneath the hovering insect. "I notice all of your new Pokemon are Flying-types. Was that intentional?"

Thanking Majesty for her patience before returning her, Volan made sure all three Poke Balls were secure on his belt before replying. He gave Caitlin a more excited grin than he'd intended to and informed her with delight that he was aiming to win the Kalos League with only Flying-types. It was something he thought would be great fun to do, and would lead to an even greater understanding of his favorite type of Pokemon.

She _beamed_. "Volan, that sounds wonderful!" she enthused. "That's exactly what I did when I first became a Trainer. I wanted to train Psychic-types because I loved them so much."

"And look where that love took you," Volan replied, fondly. He took her hand again and squeezed it. "All the way to a spot amongst Unova's Elite Four. I'd say it payed off."

"You're so sweet," she said with a rosy blush.

With nothing more to say, the couple started down the forest path that would take them back to Camphrier Town. For Volan, returning to the castle to meet back up with Thrin and Trevor was the furthest thing from his mind. After two years of communicating with Caitlin solely via video-phone, he wanted to spend as much time as possible with her until he absolutely had to reunite with them. Now that his beloved was back in his life again, everything seemed… brighter. The sky was suddenly a more vibrant shade of blue than he'd ever seen it, and the sound of the wind abruptly became musical. It was a gorgeous day, one that Volan fully intended to spend as much of as possible with Caitlin at his side.

Before he knew it, the forest gave way to the streets of Camphrier Town, lavishly festooned with their Harvest Festival decorations. Caitlin stared around in wonder at the sight of the historic town, captivated with its simple beauty.

"I never had time to really look at this place when I got here," she confessed sheepishly. Volan wasn't complaining – she was adorable when she was embarrassed, especially when she averted her gaze to stare down at her feet, which she was doing now. "I was so excited to meet up with you at last that it was all I could focus on. I asked around, and a kind old lady told me she'd seen you heading toward Shabboneau Castle. So I went there immediately to find you."

"Well, you found me," he confirmed. "Now that you have time to explore Camphrier Town properly, what do you want to do? I won't mind anything you decide."

She looked at him, her already spellbinding green eyes glittering. "I've been told there's supposed to be a festival soon. Maybe we could walk around town and see what they've set up in preparation?"

Scratching his head at the suggestion, Volan responded, "I was told it was delayed for some reason, though."

With a giddy little twirl and beaming grin, Caitlin said, "Just because there aren't any festivities doesn't mean we can't admire what they _do_ have set up. And there's nothing wrong with going for a walk. We could make a fun little date out of it."

She gave him such a hopeful look that it was impossible for Volan to say no. Really, this was all he wanted right now – him and Caitlin, together, simply hanging out. It didn't matter what they were doing, as long as he was doing it with her.

They entered the main square, not only with their fingers interlaced but also with Volan's right arm twined around Caitlin's left, bringing them that much closer together as they idly strolled along. There was no destination in mind – they wandered around the square amidst the crowd of people going about their day. Occasionally, Caitlin would point something out, and they'd diverge from their path so she could take a better look at it. Volan could tell she was excited to be in Kalos, and with him especially. Every time she saw something new, she'd turn to him and gush about it, her enthusiasm making Volan laugh.

Wherever they went, a few of the locals would cast curious glances their way. Most of them looked away with expressions of faint amusement, probably because they'd seen hundreds of other foreign couples out and about before. But there were some – older folks mostly, and women in particular – that would huddle together and coo at how adorable and in love they were, walking so intimately attached to each other. It would've been embarrassing if they'd been paying any attention.

Neither of them were blind to the fact they were drawing stares, but then again, neither of them considered it important. Caitlin was simply too enamored with the sights around them, a new one awaiting her wide eyes at every turn, and Volan was more focused on her and how much fun she was having.

"Have you been to Kalos before?" he asked her, as they finally exited the square and went down one of the main streets.

"Never," she replied happily. Her face was tinted a light pink from excitement. "I was so excited when Na– I mean, Yancy got us plane tickets this summer. And now that I'm here, I want to see everything it has to offer."

"Oh, I see – being with me again was just a bonus," Volan teased.

"Hardly," she replied coyly. Then her smile morphed into something more genuine, and she leaned in to nuzzle him. While their faces made contact, she murmured, "I'd go anywhere for you. You know that."

"I do, and I love you for it," he replied, and pecked her on the nose, eliciting an appreciative giggle from her.

When they'd separated, Volan adopted a thoughtful expression. "It's been a while since I last heard from your sister. How is she?"

"Yancy's doing fine," Caitlin responded. "She's staying in Lumiose for now. She wanted to travel with me to see you and Thrin again, but then her boyfriend called to let her know he's coming here with his family for summer vacation… and Arceus forbid she misses a chance to meet up with him." She rolled her eyes, but the annoyance on the surface was a guise for how fondly she thought of her sister.

"She's dating now?" Volan asked, not remembering this being the case when he'd last heard from Yancy. "Who's the lucky future brother-in-law?"

"A new Trainer named Nate, from Aspertia City," she answered, still sounding a little exasperated. "And according to her, he can do no wrong. I've seen them together, and frankly, they're _nauseating_."

Volan thought back on all his previous interactions with Caitlin which were, in hindsight, incredibly sappy. For Caitlin to be sickened by this new couple, well… they must have been pretty bad.

Gossip normally wasn't his thing, but Caitlin seemed content with steering the conversation in this direction, so he lent a listening ear and indulged her. Besides, despite himself, he was genuinely curious about her sister's good fortune. So, he asked, "So how did they meet?"

"Remember the cross-transceiver she lost, the one you had to return to us in Undella Town?" she asked him. Then, answering her own question, she went on, "She dropped it _again_ the last time she visited Nimbasa City for her work."

"Really?" grinned Volan, thinking back to the hassle that was returning the lost item to its rightful owner. "That must have been frustrating for her."

"Poor dear. Can't take her anywhere," Caitlin remarked affectionately. Then she launched back into her story. "Anyway, this Trainer found it lying somewhere in Nimbasa's amusement park, and they corresponded for a while before they met up in person. From what I understand after hearing Yancy gush about him, they started going out almost immediately after that."

"Sounds cute," Volan encouraged.

"No it's not, not when she comes home with her head in the clouds every other day," she sighed. "But, no matter how annoyed I get whenever she tells me about what they ate that day, or what he said over the cross-transceiver… I'm happy for her. I really am. Nate's a very sweet young man and he clearly tries hard to please her. She could be doing a lot worse."

Inexplicably, an image of Toby surfaced in Volan's head, and he willed it away before it could turn his grin into a scowl.

Rather than dwell on that, he told Caitlin, "That sounds wonderful for her. Next time you talk to her, tell her I said congratulations."

The conversation kind of fizzled out after that, and the couple contented themselves with continuing down the streets of Camphrier Town. The street they found themselves on presently was dominated by market stalls selling things like simple jewelry, fresh berries, and pastries made from said berries. Long strings of berry-shaped paper cut-outs criss-crossed overhead, often from streetlight to streetlight or from stall to stall. Despite the apparent 'delayed' status of this year's Harvest Festival, it didn't do much to affect the town's enthusiasm for the yearly event and the celebrations that inevitably came with it.

Volan and Caitlin slowed down and took the time to visit each stall, going over each selection of items with careful consideration. The merchants were more than happy to let them take their time and browse, even if they didn't actually buy anything. The promise of the upcoming Harvest Festival was putting all of Camphrier in a good mood.

"The berries are so fresh," Caitlin commented when they stopped at the fourth berry stand to admire the fruits (pardon the pun) of this year's labor. She turned a plump Tamato berry over in her hands before gently putting it back, adding, "I've never seen such high quality in Unova."

"Probably because Unova isn't known for its produce industry," Volan replied dryly. "I wouldn't mind trying some of these berries, though – picked in their prime and driven straight to market, instead of harvested prematurely and shipped across oceans while slowly ripening."

They ended up buying a small bag of assorted berries each. After thanking the merchant for doing business with them, they moved on to a neighboring stall that sold baked goods. More accurately, it was Caitlin who led Volan there, claiming that the scents wafting from that direction were too tempting to pass up. What they found there was an astonishing variety of sweet things, all made with every kind of fruit imaginable.

Volan could hardly blame Caitlin for being lured over here. Up close, the aroma was enough to make his mouth water.

As with all the stalls they'd visited thus far, the couple closely examined what was on sale. Caitlin politely declined what the stall owner offered her, but Volan bought two bags of pastries himself. When they left to continue on their walk, he put one bag away in his backpack and handed off the second to a surprised Caitlin.

"Here," he offered. "Something sweet for my sweet young lady."

Caitlin had her mouth open and ready to protest, but she found herself unable to decline after hearing his flattery. Cheeks burning, she accepted the bag without a word, a shy smile tweaking at the corners of her mouth.

Neither of them spoke for a while after that, content with allowing a peaceful silence to stretch between them. They gazed around at their surroundings, listened to the talk of those they passed by, and simply absorbed the positive atmosphere like hungry plants stretching out for the sunlight. Indeed, the cheer that saturated the ancient town seemed to dominate the streets – although, occasionally, they would pass someone that looked a bit more tired or melancholy than their neighbors.

"It's like what I was saying before," Volan murmured, keeping his voice to a respectful volume as they passed yet another of these more gloomy folks on their walk. "The Harvest Festival was supposedly delayed for some reason. And I don't know if this is connected to that or not, but someone told me that a lot of people are becoming sleep-deprived."

"That's a problem," Caitlin agreed. "Perhaps all they need is the festival to get started. That will bring them back into a good mood, and they can sleep well after it finishes."

Volan nodded, but said nothing more about the matter. He simply stayed quiet and listened as the silence settled over them once again.

It was when they were beginning to reach the end of the street – the pavement was giving way to regular dirt and grass up ahead – when the silence between them was broken. Without warning, Caitlin inexplicably stumbled, letting go of Volan's hand by reflex in order to reach out and grab him for support. Surprised at the sudden weight, Volan quickly adjusted his posture to better support her until she'd assumed a more steady position against his side.

"I need to sit down…" she murmured, suddenly sounding weary.

Not wasting time asking questions, Volan wrapped his arm around her middle and guided her toward a bench standing next to a streetlight on the side of the road. Gently, he loosened his grip and guided her onto the bench, only sitting down himself when she was comfortable. Without hesitation, she leaned heavily into his side, her head resting on his shoulder as if settling for a nap.

"Is something wrong?" Volan asked quietly, taking her hand.

He could do nothing to stop the suspicious undertone from entering his voice. He already had an idea about what this was about.

"Just tired…" she replied. Her mouth opened and she let out a cute yawn, looking miserable when she was finished. "I usually take a short nap around this time of day… right before lunch…"

Blinking, Volan confusedly checked his cross-transceiver and was startled to find that it was indeed almost noon. Time must have passed more quickly than he thought, because it did not feel too long ago since he and Thrin and Trevor had gone to Shabboneau Castle.

 _Shabboneau Castle… that's right, they're probably wondering where I've gone,_ Volan realized.

"It's so hard, Volan…" she whispered, and her despairing tone tugged on Volan's heartstrings. "I'm tired all the time now… my Pokemon do what they can to support me, but sleeping is the only way I can get it under control, and there's only so much of that I can do with my responsibilities taking up most of my time."

The Gurei boy tilted his head to glance down at her, at the same time she moved hers so that she was looking up. For the first time, he could see exactly how exhausted she truly was, with barely noticeable bags under her eyes and her eyelids drooping to hide the pain swimming in the jade-green windows to her soul.

"I'm still a member of the Elite Four," she continued, looking away from him to more easily nestle her head into the crook of his neck, "and all of the work that entails, on top of what I'm struggling with now, is starting to become too much. If I lose control –"

"Hey," Volan interrupted. He wrapped an arm around her comfortingly, and used his bad arm to awkwardly stroke her hand with the tips of his fingers. "For as long as we're together, I'm here for you. We can take it easy from now on."

She lifted her head, a questioning look in the pools of sadness her eyes had become. "But… your journey… We agreed we would travel together, and I don't want to have to hold you and your sister back from the Kalos League."

"Caitlin, I love you," he stressed, touching her face as he said so. "You won't hold us back. We can make it work. You can take a nap every day after lunch. You can sleep in an extra hour in the morning. Whenever you feel tired, we can stop walking until you're rested. I'm not going to have you suffer through my journey just because you feel you should sacrifice your own comfort for Thrin and me. It's not going to affect me at all, I promise you. If it means I get around Kalos a little more slowly, then that's the price I'm willing to pay for your happiness."

She stared at him with her eyes almost as wide as they could go. Red slowly bloomed over her cheeks. Her expression could only be likened to that of star-struck awe – that Volan would go to such lengths to care for her was beyond her expectations.

"You amaze me," she finally murmured.

Watching Caitlin's face morph from a frozen mask of shock to a physical manifestation of gratitude and love was the breathtaking sight to which Volan was treated for his honesty and generosity. Happy tears welled up in her soulful jade orbs as she stared back at him, her smile wobbling as she fought back the urge to cry and laugh at the same time. He noticed once again, this time from up close, that she'd changed since the last time they were in each other's arms – the difference between girl and young woman was slight, but there nevertheless.

By Arceus, she was beautiful.

"My mouth doesn't know what to do right now," she admitted, managing to get it out in a half-giggle that ended with a slight hiccup.

"I might have a suggestion," Volan hinted slyly, moving his hand to the back of her head.

She blinked in confusion, but that only lasted for a second before she figured out what he was insinuating. Smiling back at him just as slyly, she slid her arms around his neck and moved in to do as he suggested. When their lips met, it was gentle and sweet and filled both of them to the brim with warmth. They held it as long as they wanted, reveling in the feeling of being in such intimate contact with one another. Caitlin slumped forward a little more against him, pushing the kiss deeper and resulting in her leaning her body completely on his.

They retreated to catch their breath, but thanks to their current position, they couldn't go very far. Their lips were still tantalizingly close when Caitlin decided that once wasn't enough, and leaned in again to close what little distance remained.

This time wasn't the delicacy of two young lovers expressing their feelings. It was Caitlin rotating her head to envelop Volan completely and using her hands to pull him further in, her lips radiating heat that added fuel to the fire that was building inside of them. Caught up in the moment, he drew her up onto his lap and kissed her back, wrapping his bad arm as best he could around her middle while his other hand immersed its fingers into her hair. They held this fiery kiss for as long as the first, physically pressing their lips together as hard as possible as if that would make their love that much stronger.

Again, they parted, this time with a mutual gasp as air entered their lungs for the first time in over a minute. Flushed pink and breaths coming fast, they peered deeply into each other's eyes, their hands each brushing away the hair from their respective lover's face.

"Love you," Caitlin whispered as soon as she had the breath to say it.

"I think you made that quite obvious," replied Volan, his grin cheeky.

Her returning grin was nothing short of radiant as she slid off of his lap and returned to her own seat on the bench. For a long time, neither of them did anything but stare at one another, watching as their deep, desperate breaths slowly came to a stable rhythm and the color in their faces receded just as slowly.

The time they spent in silence to recover from their more-passionate-than-usual profession of love allowed a dark thought to enter Volan's mind. That hadn't been careful at all. That had been the closest to actually making out they'd ever been, and they'd done it in public. It was this simple truth that dragged the Gurei boy down from his love-induced high and brought him crashing back into reality.

" _Volan, I want to take this slowly. That moment between us… f-for a second, I wanted to do something that I was sure I'd regret…_ "

It was with frightening clarity that he remembered the nervous, borderline terrified words that Caitlin had spoken to him after they'd… _celebrated_ his victory over Team Plasma two years ago. They'd shared a kiss much like the one they had mere minutes ago, and he and Caitlin had agreed to ease into their – at that point, new – relationship without doing anything that might damage it irreparably.

What if they hadn't been in public just now? What if it hadn't been a bench they sat on, but a bed? How far would they have gone before either of them realized they were breaking the promise they'd made that day – the promise that meant so much to them and their future?

The fact that he was now trying not to imagine what Caitlin might be wearing _underneath_ her gown was not giving him a reassuring answer.

"I'm sorry," he blurted.

She shook her head, knowing exactly what he was apologizing for. "It was my fault," she insisted. "I'm the one that initiated it… I'm the one that broke our promise."

"And it was my fault for encouraging you. Ah, so to speak," Volan replied, blushing at his own choice of euphemism. "At least let me take some of the blame."

But Caitlin crossed her arms and insisted, "No, it was in the heat of the moment. You're not to blame."

"I don't want you to feel responsible," he shook his head. "It was my fault."

"No, it was mine," she said.

"My fault," he started to laugh.

"Mine," she giggled in response.

"No, mine," he chuckled.

Caitlin was about to continue the argument, when her pupils suddenly shrunk in an expression of complete horror. "Oh no… we're turning into Nate and Yancy."

It took Volan a moment to remember their earlier discussion and thus the meaning behind her words. Once he did, he couldn't help but burst out in a fit of laughter. Caitlin looked at him in astonishment, but covered her mouth with her hands and started giggling hysterically along with him.

Once they'd calmed down, Volan wrapped his arms around Caitlin from behind, pulling her into a hug. "So what if we're as bad as you say they are," he told her. "As long as we can have fun together, and let each other know how much we love one another, then I don't care how disgustingly sappy we have to be to do it."

She shrugged her way out of his embrace and adopted a teasing smile as she smoothed out her gown. "I'll have something to say about that if you end up following through with it."

"Okay, enough back-and-forth banter," he conceded, standing up to join her. "In our own way, I'd say we're sappy enough as it is. So, what do you want to do now?"

He held out his good arm, and Caitlin took it with a soft smile. They started to head back the way they'd come, when all of a sudden, a shout split the air.

"Volan!"

Surprised, the couple turned around to see none other than Thrin dashing down the path from the direction of the woods, with Trevor tagging close behind. Both were red in the face and, while not exactly gasping for air, it was clear that they'd been running pretty hard.

"Where did you go?" the younger Gurei demanded once she was back at her brother's side. "You never came back to the castle, and I can't believe I never noticed because Trevor and I got caught up in something with the lord…"

"Calm down," Volan replied. "I was going to come back once I'd gotten some fresh air, but then I ran into –"

"Caitlin!" Thrin finished for him, only just now noticing the maiden standing at his side. "Nice to see you again! Thank goodness you're here. At first I thought Volan had spent all this time wandering the town alone."

"Nonsense, I've been being a good girlfriend and watching out for him since we met up earlier this morning," she smiled. The two girls stepped forward and met halfway, giving each other a short yet heartfelt hug. "And I'm going to continue doing so as I join you on your journey around Kalos. I'm looking forward to seeing the two of you battle in the Kalos League."

The three Unovans shared a smile, but that left Trevor as the odd one out. The orange-haired boy stood a little off to the side, feeling awkward as he observed the reunion between old friends, in which he could not be a part of. The awkwardness was only doubled due to his unfamiliarity with the Unovan tongue they spoke in.

Fortunately for him, Caitlin turned to him next and offered her hand as a gesture of friendship. "Trevor… um, Trevor, you're looking well," she greeted him with an awkward transition to Kalosian, unused to using two languages to converse. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Did you grow since the last time I saw you?"

Somewhat shyly, Trevor rubbed the back of his head and answered, "W-Well, we saw each other through Volan's video phone last, so it's only natural I'd look bigger in the flesh as opposed to on a screen…"

Thrin stepped forward, making her presence known enough to bring all conversation to a halt. Putting her hands on her hips, she addressed her brother by announcing, "Volan, we've got some major stuff to tell you about. Trevor and I have learned about why the Harvest Festival's been delayed, and how we can kill two Pidove with one stone."

"I've always hated that phrase," he muttered distastefully. "Anyway, what are you talking about?"

Raising a finger, Trevor answered in Thrin's stead, "Turns out there's a Snorlax blocking the path toward Route 7, and it's the reason the Harvest Festival hasn't officially begun. It needs a Poke Flute to wake up and finish its journey into town for the festivities."

"Volan, Caitlin, sorry to drag you into this," Thrin finished herself, "but we're all heading to Parfum Palace."

-.-.-.-.-.

 **I know at least a few people have been waiting a while for the Voltlin to start, and finally, here it is. As a reward for your patience, you're getting an entire chapter dedicated to these two.**

 **(And this totally has nothing to do with me finally having an excuse to indulge myself in writing shameless fluff after having to wait twenty-five chapters. Nope.)**

 **Of course, being a huge fan of the Dropped Item Sidequest and the whole Nate x Yancy deal from BW2, I decided to give that a mention as well. We need more romance in Pokemon. Fingers crossed for more MC x Lillie in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon!**

 **Next chapter** **: Poached Pokemon Eggs**

 **Chapter Question #22: What's your favorite pairing in the Pokemon games? It doesn't have to be canon.**

 **I've already mentioned mine, ha ha. Sun x Lillie and Nate x Yancy for life.**

 **-.-.-.-.-.**

 **Volan's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Edgar (Murkrow, male)  
** **Ability: Super Luck**

 **Piper (Fletchinder, female)  
** **Ability: Flame Body**

 **Majesty (Combee, female)  
** **Ability: Honey Gather**

 **Thrin's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Akuma (Vivillon, male)  
** **Ability: Compound Eyes**

 **Claire (Froakie, female, shiny)  
** **Ability: Protean**

 **Gulp (Bellsprout, female)  
** **Ability: Chlorophyll**


	29. Poached Pokemon Eggs

**_Chapter 27 – Poached Pokemon Eggs_**

 **Last time on "Flight of a Legend…"**

 **Volan left Shabboneau Castle and ended up running into Caitlin, who'd come to Kalos specifically to meet up with him again. Although they had a happy reunion, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, as she became worried with his involvement with Team Flare and the injuries it had resulted in. Volan, likewise, was concerned about her and the amount of stress she'd been dealing with lately. Together, though, they promised to support each other and enjoy themselves to the fullest during their time in Kalos. Volan and Caitlin were delighted to be hand-in-hand again.**

-.-.-.-.-.

"So let me get this straight," Volan said, once Thrin and Trevor were finished explaining the situation to him and Caitlin. "The lord of Shabboneau Castle can't officially start the Harvest Festival because he's waiting on a Snorlax to show up."

His sister and friend, whom he had reunited with since splitting off from them earlier that morning at Shabboneau Castle, nodded as one.

"And this Snorlax is apparently in a symbiotic relationship with the town and thus is an important cultural symbol, which is why the lord is delaying the festivities," he continued.

They nodded again, while Caitlin stood beside him with a thoughtful expression as she processed the information.

"And you found a Snorlax sleeping in the middle of a bridge that we have to cross if we want to continue on our journey," Volan went on.

"It was injured," specified Trevor. "Instead of heading straight into town like it was supposed to, it exhausted itself and had to stop and regain its strength."

"Which puts a dent in our travel plans," Thrin added, a tad unnecessarily.

The Gurei boy sighed to himself. He knew this already from their earlier explanation, but hearing it put so bluntly was a different matter. Why did this kind of thing always happen to him?

"And the only way to wake it up is by means of a Poke Flute, which Lord Shabboneau once had but ended up giving to a friend of his," he elaborated, his tone now slightly exasperated.

Again, Thrin and Trevor nodded.

Taking a deep breath, Volan finished his assessment of events by concluding, "Finally, this friend is the owner of Parfum Palace, which once belonged to the monarchy of Kalos, and we're going to request it back after winning a Pokemon battle tournament organized by the owner himself."

"Yeah, that's pretty much the size of it," Thrin folded her arms approvingly. "Nice to see you're taking it so well."

"S-Sorry to set you up for this without telling you," Trevor stammered, apologetic. "It's just that Lord Shabboneau is really counting on us, and we didn't think you'd have a problem with it…"

"No, I don't," Volan told his friend. "It'll help the town, not to mention the Snorlax as well. I suppose I'm in. Caitlin?"

"Of course," she responded, smiling as she took his hand in hers. "If I'm going to be part of this group, then I'm going to lend my assistance whenever you need it. Besides, a tournament at Parfum Palace sounds like fun."

He smiled back at her, much grateful for her unyielding support. Hearing that she was one hundred percent behind him, no matter what, was greatly uplifting.

"Where do we go to get to Parfum Palace?" he asked, turning back to his sister.

She pointed down the path, towards the woods she'd come from. "There's a crossroads a ways into the forest," she answered. "One of the roads goes further west, towards the bridge that Snorlax is blocking, and the other one goes north onto Route 6, where Parfum Palace is located."

It was settled. The group – now numbering four with Caitlin's recent inclusion – headed out of Camphrier Town and back into the wilderness, following the dirt path that cut a swathe through the otherwise dense foliage. Thrin and Trevor led the way, leading the other two back along the route that they themselves had taken. There was very little talking done along the way – not just because there was little to talk about in the first place, but because they did not have far to go to reach the crossroads Thrin had described.

Route 6 couldn't be mistaken for anything else. It was nothing more than a perfectly straight road where the trees and bushes on either side were arranged in perfect symmetry. While the path was long, it was short enough for Volan and the others to be able to see the end of the forest and the first glimpse of the palace on the other side. There was much more sunlight on this path, due to the trees having intentionally been trimmed down and rearranged to create a much less wild and more pleasing aesthetic. No doubt this was to make a good first impression on whomever was intending to visit the glorious Parfum Palace, be it a throng of tourists in the modern-day age or a king and his court back in the days of the monarchy.

When they actually got to Parfum Palace a mere five or six minutes later, it was even more impressive than it had looked from afar. The entire area around it was completely devoid of trees or any other wild plant life – the only green in sight being the vast sweeping lawns of trimmed grass covering any surface that wasn't paved. The dirt path that they stood on turned seamlessly to cobblestone, forming a simple road that led straight to the palace gates. Tall, old-fashioned streetlamps stood at attention like trained soldiers, placed every dozen meters or so on opposite sides of the road. At the end were the gates, magnificent barriers constructed from solid gold which were decorated with intricate swirling designs reminiscent of proud Serperior.

"Would you take a look at that," marveled Trevor, speaking of them with a tone bordering on reverence. "I've never seen anything so impressive."

"It belonged to the king. Obviously whoever built this palace would have gone all out with every last detail of the place," Thrin reasoned. However logically she tried to explain it, it was clear from her eyes, opened as wide as they could go with awe, that she was still just as affected by the sight before her as Trevor was.

Of course, beyond the gates was Parfum Palace itself. The only landmark on a perfectly plain grassland that stretched in all directions for several acres, it quite literally dominated the vision of anyone who strode the path from Route 6. Parfum Palace was almost certainly the polar opposite of Shabboneau Castle – whereas the thick stone walls of Shabboneau were constructed with strong defense and practicality in mind, Parfum Palace emphasized form over function. It was grand, surpassing the size of two Shabboneau Castles put together. Crystal-clear windows covered almost every square inch of the outside, and the walls around them were colored gold, although a more muted shade than the metal of which the gates had been created. The roof was dark blue, sporting even more windows edged in the same gold as the palace walls. In the center of it all was the door, lined up perfectly with the gates and road and twice the height of a full-grown man.

In a word, Parfum Palace was nothing short of overwhelming. It took the magnificence of Team Plasma's castle and tripled it – although the fact that this sanctuary wasn't being used for evil was a significant contributing factor.

"To think that Lord Shabboneau told us this was only the king's private getaway," Thrin commented, after she'd managed to regain control of her jaw, which had momentarily dropped.

"If this was his summer home," Volan added thoughtfully, "I wonder what his real palace was like."

There was a formally-dressed man with greying hair standing at the gates, most likely a member of the palace's staff. Without even needing to exchange the barest of glances to determine their next course of action, the quartet moved forward to greet him.

Before they could say anything, the man bowed to them. " _Bonjour_ , Trainers. What can I do for you fine young travelers on this lovely afternoon?"

"Excuse me, but we heard something about a Pokemon battle tournament being held here," Volan said, cutting to the chase. He had offered to be the one to ask, which the others had agreed to. "I was hoping that the four of us would be able to enter, if it's not too late."

"Ah yes, the tournament," the man responded with a husky cough. "We still have enough vacancies to secure positions for all of you. If I could get your names and Trainer IDs?"

Once they'd provided him with the information he requested, the gatekeeper neatly folded up the paper on which he'd written it on, and slid it into the pocket of his suit along with his pen.

"Th-Thank you, sir," Trevor spoke politely, if a little nervously. "I was worried we'd be too late to register, since the event's supposed to be later today."

The orange-haired boy's words got a chuckle out of the man. "Really, all of this formality. There's no need for this 'sir' business, young man. I would much prefer if you referred to me by my given name, Hollingsworth. Regardless, it was my pleasure to assist such fine Trainers. I wish you luck in the challenge later this evening."

Suddenly, his wrinkled face shifted as his small smile turned into a frown. "Although…" he added somewhat uncertainly. "I'm afraid I must warn you that my master is having trouble procuring the prize he had been planning to bestow upon the winner."

"What kind of trouble?" Thrin asked immediately, sounding concerned.

Hollingsworth hesitated, as if unsure that divulging this information would get him in trouble with his employer, but that moment soon passed. "You see, His Majesty wished for the prize to be a Pokemon egg, and ordered one to be delivered from the Pokemon Day Care on Route 7. However, the egg has not arrived, and I fear that it may not be delivered at all."

The second Hollingsworth said 'Route 7', Volan's mind immediately jumped to the most logical conclusion it could find. Route 7 was beyond the bridge on which the Snorlax had parked itself. Upon quickly glancing at his friends, he could tell that they were thinking the same thing.

"I truly do apologize for asking you such a thing," Hollingsworth began, "but you will be doing me, as well as His Majesty, a tremendous favor. Please go and see if the egg is safe."

Caitlin stepped forward, apprehensive. "It's not that we're not willing to go," she responded. "We have heard that there is a Snorlax blocking the way into Route 7. There's no way for us to reach the Pokemon Day Care."

Blinking, Hollingsworth appeared to be lost for an instant before shaking his head, seemingly exasperated with himself. "Oh, I apologize, I should have told you right away. You see, the egg isn't actually at the Day Care. I do not claim to know all the details, but the couple who run the Day Care have chosen to entrust the prize egg into the care of a family that lives down the road from here. Odd, yes, but it at least negates your Snorlax problem."

"Wait… they passed the egg off to someone else?" Volan questioned aloud.

"As I said, I am not claiming to know their reasoning," he repeated. "As we are pressed for time, with the tournament taking place tonight, I would be most grateful if you were to do this favor for me and His Majesty. I can even be of minor assistance to you by providing you with a ride there."

Volan frowned slightly, finding this situation highly unusual. He turned to look at his friends, who all turned to look at him in turn, until they were standing in a circle. First they were requested to get the Poke Flute back for Lord Shabboneau, and now the very same people who held the flute in their hands were requesting for them to get the prize for their tournament. And because their plan was to ask for the Poke Flute on behalf of Lord Shabboneau upon winning said tournament, this complicated things. Volan could tell that Thrin, Caitlin, and Trevor were all thinking the same thing he was.

"It won't be too much trouble for us to investigate," Thrin assured the butler. "Assuming all goes well, we'll be back with your egg before you know it."

"Thank you, young miss," Hollingsworth bowed, his voice full of gratitude. "I shall arrange for one of our staff to escort you there. I hope you will be successful."

-.-.-.-.-.

The 'escort' provided for the four do-gooders ended up being a small limo – well, small for a limo, that is – that drove them all the way through Route 6 and straight past the crossroads. From there, it was only a short while longer before the vehicle slowed to a stop outside a metallic gate. The gate was attached on both sides to a brick wall that vanished into the bushes and trees on either side of the path, obviously meant to guard someone's property.

When the gates opened to allow Volan and the others through, they found themselves in a garden, consisting of several patches of soil that resembled miniature versions of the fields in which the farmers back in Vaniville Town grew their crops. If Volan had to guess, he'd say that each patch was about ten meters by ten meters. The soil was bare right now, although it all looked freshly plowed. At the back of the property, not far past the empty gardens, was a humble household that was partially shaded by the trees growing around this plot of land that had been set aside for civilization.

"This reminds me of Vaniville Town," Trevor remarked, bending down to examine the closest patch. "If this is a farm, it can't contribute much to the markets in Camphrier Town – this is the only one we've seen, and anyway, most of the shops and stalls were selling Vaniville goods."

Before anyone could reply, they heard the sound of a door swinging open and then shutting closed, and they simultaneously looked up to see a middle-aged man striding out into his extensive gardens. However, he paused when he saw that he had company.

"Sorry, we just harvested everything a few days ago, if you were hoping to admire what my family's been growing this past year," he called out to them with a laugh. "Based on the look of you four, you're Trainers, are you not? What can I do for you?"

Trevor, who was the closest to the property's owner, stood ramrod-straight and tried not to blush too hard as he stammered out an answer. "U-Um, well, m-my name is Trevor. We were s-sent from P-Parfum Palace to check up on an e-egg…?"

"I'm Thrin," the Gurei girl was the next to speak, relieving Trevor of his reluctant role as spokesperson. "These other two are my brother Volan and his girlfriend Caitlin. We just visited Parfum Palace, and we…"

She went on to explain the situation as they'd heard it from Hollingsworth. By the time she'd finished talking, the man's expression had changed as he realized exactly what his guests were here for.

"I see…" he muttered to himself. He adopted a friendlier smile and greeted the Trainers properly. "Well first of all, my name is Louis, and I welcome you to my farm. We grow our produce especially for the festival at this time of year. This is the only farm left in the vicinity of Camphrier Town, although I'm sure you've heard that Camphrier's farming community was far larger back in the days before Vaniville Town was founded. I'm sorry to hear about the Snorlax, seeing as how we're well aware that the Harvest Festival can't really begin without it. So, you're hoping to enter the celebratory tournament at Parfum Palace and get our lord's flute back in order to awaken Snorlax, huh?"

"That's the gist of it, yes," confirmed Volan. "What's it a celebration for, anyway?"

"The lord of Parfum Palace's daughter's birthday," Louis was more than happy to answer him. "I understand she can be a bit… uh, much… but I also know that the lord of Parfum Palace does love her and set up a battle tournament later tonight in her honor."

"How very sweet," Caitlin smiled.

"If a pain in the neck for us," Thrin added more sourly. "Alright, so do you have the egg that was supposed to be delivered to the palace?"

There was a somewhat tense pause as Louis frowned, processing her question like he was unsure of how to answer it.

"The short answer is, yes we do," he finally informed them. "But I'm afraid it's more complicated than that. The Day Care delivered this egg to us for safekeeping – the old couple there go way back with my parents, you see – but they also sent us _all_ of their eggs, too. This before the lord of Parfum Palace ordered one of them, by the way."

Wrinkling his brow in utter confusion, Trevor asked, "Wait, why would they give you every last one of their eggs?"

"Is there some kind of problem at the Day Care?" inquired Caitlin, her eyes widening a little.

"Was," Louis corrected her. "According to them, eggs have been going missing from their storage lately. They're pinning the blame on a wild Pokemon, but the troubling thing is, all of the wild Pokemon around these parts tend to be docile at best and indifferent at worst."

A guidebook already in his hand, Volan flipped through it silently, his eyebrows creeping closer together with every page he skimmed. Louis was right – the book didn't tell of any potentially harmful species. Even Ducklett, which in his experience were infuriating birds that liked trolling innocent passersby for the hell of it, weren't malicious enough to be egg thieves.

Louis continued musingly, "The only thing I can think of is that this Pokemon must be coming down from the mountains. But anyway, it was such a problem that the Day Care couple saw fit to send all of their eggs here so that the culprit would leave them alone."

"And did it?" asked Trevor.

"Yes," he sighed wearily. "It stopped bothering _them_ and started raiding _us_ once it figured out where its food supply had gone. We would've sent the prize egg straight to Parfum Palace if we weren't so worried about it going there next, or even worse, being attacked by the thief on our way there."

 _Coming down from the mountains…_ This was the second time today Volan had heard that. Thrin and Trevor had told him about Snorlax and how it had been injured by something as it headed toward Camphrier Town from its home in the mountains. Now there was another Pokemon stirring up trouble, this time intentionally. It was too strange to be a coincidence.

What was happening in the mountains that would soon be the next obstacle in Volan's journey to the Kalos League?

"The egg hasn't been stolen?" the older Gurei tried to confirm, with a brief adjustment of his glasses.

"No, it's still safe for the moment," was the positive answer.

"Then let us take it to Parfum Palace," Caitlin volunteered. "Even if this Pokemon were to attack us, it would be no match for four of us."

Volan immediately agreed with his girlfriend's proposition, giving a firm nod to back her up. Thrin and Trevor did too, making the decision unanimous.

"You sure?" Louis said, scratching his head dubiously. "Well, alright. You do look like skilled Trainers, so I think I can trust you on this. Here, let me lead you to the room we're using to store all the eggs. We keep it securely locked for safety reasons, but for some reason that hasn't stopped our egg thief…"

He left that thought hanging in the air as he motioned for them to follow and led them toward the back of the house. Opening a side door, he ushered them inside. The hallway was a little dim, with open doorways allowing artificial light from other rooms to seep in and chase away some of the darkness. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all wood, which creaked underfoot a tiny bit when Volan took his first steps inside.

They passed the rooms from which the light was emanating – Volan glanced curiously at both of them and found them to be a living room and what looked like a study or office – and stopped at the end of the hall, where a door was waiting for them. Louis pushed past his four guests as discretely as he was able to in the cramped hallway and stuck a hand in his pocket. He paused, frowning, and shuffled his hand around in the pocket with some degree of franticness.

"Something wrong?" asked Caitlin, the first to notice something was off.

"Could've sworn I had the key on me… probably returned it to Fey and forgot about it," he muttered, then raised his voice to the point where it reverberated off of the walls. "Hey, Fey? C'mere girl!"

A jingling sound came from elsewhere in the house, and grew louder as something small came racing between Volan's legs and those of everyone else in order to make it to its owner. The Pokemon was one of the tiniest and most unusual he'd ever seen, consisting of a head and two thin tentacles that fit together at the ends to form a ring. Dangling from the ring was a large set of rattling keys, which was a noise that seemed to fit perfectly with the creature's high-pitched titter of a laugh.

Scrutinizing the thing closely, Thrin stated, "Okay, I know we never had anything like that in Unova. What is it?"

"Fey's a Klefki," Louis told her. "She guards every key we own and defends them fiercely from strangers. It's her nature."

His curiosity piqued, Volan took out his Pokedex to scan the Klefki, although he turned the volume down so as not to startle it. The device said coolly, " **Klefki.** ** _Pixie custobjectum_** **. A Steel-and-Fairy-type Keyring Pokemon. Historically viewed as a serious pest and often said to be the cause of any lost item's disappearance, Klefki has become far more welcome among humankind in recent years. Scientists have learned to put this Fairy-type's kleptomania to good use by giving it objects to keep hold of, which it will instinctively defend with surprising ferocity. Klefki will only share its property with those it trusts, so it is common practice for people to give it keys to guard for safekeeping. Its main defense mechanism is rattling its collection menacingly. Specimen is female with a power level of thirteen. Known moves: Metal Sound, Fairy Wind, Astonish, Tackle. Ability: Prankster.** "

"Fairy-type, huh?" he remarked, putting the Pokedex away. "That part about people figuring out how to use its natural tendency to steal things is really fascinating."

"W-Well, we learned in c-class that Fairies have always been one of the h-hardest Pokemon types to t-train," Trevor offered his two P, albeit in his usual stammer. His face had lost a touch of color due to his nervousness around being a Fairy-type – although the reason for such a reaction still eluded Volan.

"Kikikiki!" the Keyring Pokemon let out a jingling giggle, twirling around playfully and making its key collection rattle. It darted over to Trevor and pressed itself against his cheek, uttering a content little mewling sound.

Before the orange-haired boy could flinch away from the affection it was showing him, there was the pop of a Poke Ball opening, and Flabébé appeared to aggressively defend her Trainer through the use of her vines. A few lashes was enough to drive the Klefki back towards its owner. Trevor gave Flabébé a grateful, if still slightly nervous, smile and was hugged by the Single Bloom Pokemon's little arms in return, much to his dismay.

"Little Fey seems to like you," Louis told him, amused. "I've never seen her so friendly around someone she's just met."

"Y-Yeah, h-how weird…" muttered Trevor, moving back until he was behind Thrin, at a safe distance from the Klefki.

Volan still got the feeling that Trevor was hiding something about his fear. There had to be a reason for it, but he wasn't one to pester his friend about it, especially since the subject so clearly made him uncomfortable.

 _When Trevor's ready, he'll tell me,_ he knew, the thought satiating his curiosity for now. _But at the moment, I should be focusing on what we've come here for – the egg to take back to Parfum Palace._

"Fey, if you please?" asked Louis, gesturing to the doorknob.

"Klefkiiii!" she trilled joyfully. Detaching her two tentacles from each other, the Klefki selected a key from her collection and floated over to the doorknob in order to insert it.

There was a signature *click* as the door was unlocked, and Fey retracted the key and claimed it as her own once more, chirping to herself proudly. Louis had a smile on his face as he acknowledged his Pokemon's work with a proper thank-you. With that, he turned the knob and pulled the door open.

A ceiling light immediately turned on to illuminate the storage room. The walls were covered with shelves, and each shelf had three or more Pokemon eggs resting upon them. The eggs were all the same shape and size, but they came in many different colors and patterns, which subtly hinted at which species each one would eventually hatched into. Each egg had been placed in its own little nest, made from hay and other soft materials. A wave of heat wafted from the storage room the second the door opened, indicating that it was being warmed so that the eggs could be incubated comfortably.

However, no-one's eyes were on the eggs, nor were they studying the room itself. Rather, they were all staring in complete shock at the serpentine Pokemon that currently had an egg halfway down its throat, the one whose eyes bugged out in an unmistakable " _Oh crap!_ " expression when it saw that it had been caught in the act.

"Th-The egg thief?!" spluttered Louis, shocked and outraged at the same time.

The dark purple Pokemon snapped its mouth closed and squeezed its eyes shut as it forced the egg down whole. With a gasp of breath, it turned its slippery body around in one sinuous motion and darted through the hole in the wall it had snuck in from. Sunlight snuck through the hole, which had been made at the very base of the wall, and was barely big enough for the snake to slip through with minor difficulty.

"Quick, around the back of the house!" Thrin shouted, already heading back down the hall.

"If we can corner it and defeat it, chances are it won't steal any more eggs," Caitlin said as she followed.

They rushed out of the house and followed the Pokemon as it attempted to make its escape, soon cornering it against the fence. Seeing the Poke Balls being tightly gripped in each Trainer's fist, it coiled up and raised its sword-shaped tail, hissing warningly.

"That's… a Seviper, I think," Volan stated hesitantly. "They're pretty rare in Unova."

"I've never seen one of those before," murmured Trevor with fascination, taking out his Pokedex before Volan could and scanning the intruder.

" **Seviper,** " the 'dex said. " ** _Barbarabitis ferracaudatus_** **. A Poison-type Fang Snake Pokemon. This extremely violent Pokemon has developed its temperament from millions of years of fighting territorial battles with its natural enemy, the Normal-type Zangoose. Its natural weapons are thought to have evolved in response to Zangoose developing an immunity to its venom, and its sly disposition is thought to be a counter for Zangoose's brute-force tendencies. Seviper possesses venom sacs on both ends of its body, allowing it to inflict grievous and often fatal injuries with either its bite or its razor-sharp tail. Specimen is female with a power level of twenty-four. Known moves: Venoshock, Poison Tail, Glare, Flamethrower. Ability: Shed Skin.** "

Somewhere behind them, the door slammed close, and out walked Louis with one of the eggs carried gently in his arms. "It didn't get the egg that was supposed to go to Parfum Palace, thank goodness. But can you Trainers get rid of that Seviper so that it won't come back to bother my farm or the Day Care?"

"May as well," Volan shrugged. "While we're here, I mean. Caitlin, you're the only one here with Psychic-types, so could you scare it off?"

"Of course," she replied. "Gothitelle, please, I need your assistance."

She pressed the button on the Poke Ball in her hand, releasing its tall, dark occupant. The familiar Unovan Astral Body Pokemon levitated a few inches above the ground, her heavy-lidded eyes staring piercingly at her surroundings.

 _What do you wish of me, Mistress Caitlin?_ Gothitelle asked through the use of telepathy. But before she could answer, her Pokemon's eyes slid to the side and noticed Volan. _Ah, Volan, it's wonderful to see you again. You are doing well, I trust?_

Out of all Caitlin's Pokemon, her Gothitelle had been the one that took a shine to him most of all. The normally rather stoic Psychic-type always lightened up a bit around him, claiming to find his presence as relaxing to be in as that of her mistress. Volan wasn't quite sure what that meant, but it probably had something to do with her being a Psychic-type and sensing the auras or brain waves of others. Volan was a calm, studious type that gravitated toward books and other quiet activities when left alone, which appealed to Gothitelle immensely. Volan himself remembered blushing when she gave him this praise, at the time he'd gone to visit Caitlin's place right before his family's move to Kalos.

"I'm well, yes, thanks for asking," he replied to his telepathic acquaintance.

 _My pleasure,_ Gothitelle said, cracking a soft smile.

There was a sudden, sharp hiss from the Seviper, which had reached the end of its patience waiting for one of them to attack. It decided to take the initiative, opening its mouth wide and spraying two purple streams of noxious fluid from the tips of its fangs. The Venoshock was aimed straight at the person that caught the Seviper's eye first – which happened to be Trevor.

"Akuma, get out here and use Protect!" Thrin instantly sprang into action, hurling the capsule.

In a burst of blue light followed by one more greenish, the Vivillon had materialized in front of the would-be victim and conjured an energy field that rendered the Venoshock useless. The fluid slipped harmlessly off of its protective surface and dribbled to the ground.

"F-Flabébé, use Tackle!" stammered Trevor, white-faced from the close call.

"Follow it up with Gust, Akuma!" ordered Thrin.

"And Gothitelle, please use Psychic," Caitlin finished softly.

The Seviper was readying itself for another strike when something small rammed into its chin, the unexpected blow causing it to snap its head upwards reflexively. It let out a short trill to express its surprise, which was abruptly drowned out by a howling gale that pushed it back and into the wall at the edge of the property. It slid down the wall and collapsed in a heap, but when it shook off the dizziness and rose up to try and attack again, Gothitelle's eyes glowed and sent out a wave of psychic energy out from her body. The wave manifested itself as a curious vortex of dark blue and purple that appeared around the Seviper and wracked its body with pain.

"Did that do it?" Volan asked, peering at the Poison-type as the light faded and dropped it back on the ground.

Humming uncertainly, Caitlin replied, "It should have… I mean, we're only trying to drive it away so it won't come back."

"Vipaaaaaah…" the Seviper moaned lowly, coming out of its Psychic-induced daze.

It wasn't immediately getting up and attacking again, which was a good sign. Rather, it looked quite disoriented, the need to fight back against those that were trying to chase it off seemingly diminishing. It blinked its red eyes open and shut, like it was coming to the realization that a few eggs weren't worth getting beaten up over.

Volan gestured to Thrin, and the two siblings stepped away from each other to allow the Seviper passage. It looked at each of them in turn, making sure they weren't going to attempt anything, then began to slither off in an odd, halting fashion that brought to mind a limp.

Suddenly, in a flash of red, it was gone.

The four Trainers, their Pokemon, and Louis all took a step back in shock as a Poke Ball landed on the ground. It rocked back and forth, then emitted a burst of sparkles to signify the successful capture.

Wordlessly, everyone turned around as one to see an unpleasantly familiar figure pushing the gates out of her way to claim what was now hers. Sera's face retained its neutral, mask-like quality as she idly used her foot to kick the Poke Ball upwards and into her waiting grasp.

"What was that all about?" Louis asked, easily the most bewildered out of the five humans present.

"Poison-type," Sera replied without missing a beat, or indeed, acknowledging him at all. She then turned around to spear Thrin in her passive yet menacing stare, saying, "Thanks, by the way. I could've caught it myself, but the assistance is always appreciated."

The way she worded the thank-you came off as slightly sarcastic, at least to the listening Volan. Thrin interpreted it that way as well, as her gaze hardened and her eyebrows knitted together in a scowl.

"What are you even doing here in the first place?" the Gurei girl growled.

"None of your business," Sera replied evenly. "What about you? Still resting in your brother's shadow? That's where a second-rate Trainer like yourself belongs."

Not only did the remark turn Thrin's face into the remarkable likeness of a thunderstorm, it ignited a spike of rage in Volan's chest. "Listen," he spoke up now, the latent anger simmering in his voice drawing the attention of everyone around him. "I don't know where that insult came from, but it was highly uncalled for. I understand that some people recognize me as a good Trainer, but my sister is just as skilled as I am. If you can't see that simply because you defeated her in battle that one time, then that's tough. She'll have to make you see differently the next time you meet her on the battlefield."

The only indication Sera gave that she'd heard him was a raised eyebrow, but Volan figured he'd have to be satisfied with that. He couldn't make her listen to him.

A metallic creaking noise came from the direction of the gates, and to the group's surprise, they found Calem, Tierno, and Shauna passing through the opened gateway and onto the property. The trio seemed just as surprised to see them as they were to see the trio, but that moment passed in a flash to let smiles come to light all around (with one obvious exception).

"Hey guys, nice to horsee you again!" Shauna squealed, beaming at everyone in turn. She even spared a big hug for Trevor, who turned red and shifted uncomfortably in her tanned arms.

"Well, this is unexpected," Volan said. "What are you all doing here?"

"Oh, we tried to get into Parfum Palace for the big battle tournament!" answered Tierno with much enthusiasm, hopping from foot to foot. "But the guy at the gate said they still hadn't gotten the prize for the winner, so we decided to come and check after he said it was an egg from the Day Care."

"And since the road to the Day Care was blocked by a Snorlax, we came here!" Shauna finished for him, while Calem merely smiled pleasantly from beside her.

"Well, you kids have no reason to worry," Louis spoke up with a chuckle. "The prize egg is safe and sound, and ready to be taken to Parfum Palace."

He held up the ovular object in his arms a little more obviously so that they all could see it clearly. Volan hadn't gotten a good look at before, nor had the others, being too distracted with the task of repelling the Seviper before Sera caught it. But now they had the leisure time to drink in the sight of the simple object nestled innocently in Louis' grasp. It was about the size of a Unovan football and colored equal parts white and green.

"It's so Cutiefly!" cried Shauna, fawning over the unhatched Pokemon. "If one of you wins it in the tournament, I can't wait to see what'll come out of it!"

"You're not participating, Shauna?" asked Trevor, sounding mildly surprised. "We're all going to enter – that is, Volan, Thrin, Caitlin, and I."

She shut her eyes and smiled perkily at him. "Nope! Just Tierno, Calem, and Sera are."

With a double take, Thrin gaped, "Hold on, Sera's traveling with you guys?"

"Against my better judgement," Sera droned unenthusiastically.

"She lost a bet," snickered Tierno. He somehow didn't notice the caustic look she shot at him, her midnight-blue pits of despair suddenly blazing with rage.

"Anyway," she growled, the anger vanishing altogether after her eyelids slid closed for a couple of seconds, "if we're done here, we should be going to Parfum Palace. The more we waste our time here, the more likely it'll be that someone else will take our places in the tournament."

"She does have a point," Calem spoke up at last.

"We have a ride back to the palace," Caitlin reminded them. "Maybe the four of you would like to hitch a ride with the four of us?"

Tierno regarded her with a slight frown. "And who're you? You seem familiar."

"Oh, I believe we met before over Volan's video phone," Caitlin explained, and gave him a little bow in greeting. "I'm Caitlin, Volan's girlfriend." She took the Gurei boy's hand and leaned into him to drive her point home, which he wholeheartedly welcomed by returning the affectionate gesture.

The squeal that came from Shauna's mouth reminded both halves of the couple, plus Thrin, too much of their friend Bianca for comfort. "I can't believe that I forgrotle all about you two! You're the most aerodorable pair I've ever seen!"

Both of them blushed with embarrassment, although they did share a private little smile when the brunette girl turned away and moved to gently take the egg from the property's owner.

-.-.-.-.-.

The newly-expanded group of eight was on their way back to Parfum Palace in style, thanks to their luxurious ride that had been waiting to take them back since arriving at the farm at Hollingsworth's request. They had said goodbye to Louis, who thanked them for their help on their way out the gate, and assured them that he would return the rest of the eggs to the Day Care once he had free passage to Route 7. Volan jogged ahead of the group to where the limo was waiting and asked the driver if he minded taking all eight of them back to Parfum Palace, rather than just the four he'd originally chauffeured. The driver did not mind at all and even thanked Volan for his thoughtfulness in asking him.

The trip back to the palace was just as short as the trip from, and just as quiet. While Volan and Caitlin sat side-by-side – the latter having closed her eyes and leaning on the former's shoulder for a minute or two of rest – Thrin, Tierno, and Trevor talked amongst themselves, keeping their voices low so as not to disturb the couple. Shauna was fixated on the egg she had balanced in her lap, stroking it occasionally and cooing to it in a surprisingly motherly tone of voice. Calem and Sera stared silently out the windows, neither feeling like interacting with anyone else for the time being.

Before they knew it, the trees had finished going past, and the forest was replaced by the wide-open lakeside clearing that consisted of the Parfum Palace exterior. The limousine pulled up to the gates, and Hollingsworth was already there to open up the door and allow the group out.

"Ah, I see you've all returned," he greeted them with a polite bow. "Dare I assume that your errand turned out successful?"

Shauna was the last to exit the vehicle, and she held up the egg proudly in response to his question.

"Oh, what a relief!" Hollingsworth exclaimed, wiping his brow with a handkerchief. "I am overjoyed to see that the egg is alright, and here at last. His Majesty will be most pleased."

He paused, taking time to look over each one of the group in turn. "Right then, if I recall, the eight of you all wish to enter tonight's tournament?"

"Seven," Shauna corrected with a smile. "I'm not entering."

"I see," he replied. "Now, if you would all follow me, I will take you to where your names and information will be recorded for the purposes of the tournament. Right this way."

As soon as he was done speaking, the Serperior-adorned gates opened up with a soft, smooth creak. They were clearly well-maintained. Hollingsworth took the first couple of steps past the threshold, then suddenly stopped.

"Oh yes, I have forgotten," he murmured, half to himself. "Young Trainers, you must each pay one thousand Poke-dollars if you wish to enter Parfum Palace."

The unexpected sentence struck each of them dumb.

" _WHAT?!_ " Shauna shrieked, finding her voice before anyone else.

"I beg your pardon?" Caitlin asked, far more politely.

Hollingsworth let out a long, weary sigh, as if he was just as put off by his own sentence as the recipients. "You see, His Majesty is the kind of person who believes that one can never have too much money."

"This is how the rich get richer," drawled Sera, although her voice had a noticeable bite to it.

 _This had better be worth it, Calem,_ she seethed to herself, inwardly cursing the boy she now sadly called companion.

Regardless of how they felt about this newest development, the eight of them payed the fee with varying degrees of reluctance and followed the butler through the gateway. In front of them, the grand palace that had once been the king's own domain loomed large.

But before they could get even halfway to the entrance, the massive doors creaked open, and someone came rushing out, panicked beyond belief.

Hollingsworth was utterly flabbergasted. "Y-Your Majesty?!"

-.-.-.-.-.

 **Klefki got a lot of flak for its design, but I think it's genius. It's a reference to how fairies in mythology would steal small items from people. And I like the idea that Fairy-types would be hard to domesticate – again, based on mythology, fairies like to screw with people.**

 **Nothing much in this chapter, just Thrin and Sera butting heads and the latter getting a new Pokemon. Also setting up the Parfum Palace stuff, which should be fun! Who'll win the egg?**

 **Review, if you please!**

 ** _Pixie custobjectum_** **= "pixie keeper of objects"**

 ** _Barbarabitis ferracaudatus_** **= "blade-tailed barbaric viper"**

 **Next chapter** **: Fun with Furfrou**

 **Chapter Question #23: What's your favorite pairing in the Pokemon anime? As with last time, it doesn't have to be canon.**

 **I'm an Amourshipper, end of story. (Ash and Lana in SM, though… the more they tease it, the more I like it. XD)**

 **-.-.-.-.-.**

 **Volan's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Edgar (Murkrow, male)  
** **Ability: Super Luck**

 **Piper (Fletchinder, female)  
** **Ability: Flame Body**

 **Majesty (Combee, female)  
** **Ability: Honey Gather**

 **Thrin's Kalos Team** **:  
** **Akuma (Vivillon, male)  
** **Ability: Compound Eyes**

 **Claire (Froakie, female, shiny)  
** **Ability: Protean**

 **Gulp (Bellsprout, female)  
** **Ability: Chlorophyll**

 **Sera's Team** **:  
** **Skroop (Skorupi, male, shiny)  
** **Ability: Sniper**

 **Nigel (Inkay, male)  
** **Ability: Contrary**

 **Unnamed (Seviper, female)  
** **Ability: Shed Skin**


	30. AN

**Author's Note**

Salutations, greetings, and many great hellos.

So yeah, just the fact that you're getting an author's note instead of a chapter after almost three months of no updates just screams "OFFICIALLY ON HIATUS". And, well, that's pretty much it. I haven't had the motivation to keep working on "Flight of a Legend" for a long time. So I figured I may as well make it official.

HOWEVER. There is no way in the Ultra Deep Sea that I'm abandoning this story. I'd rather get snapped in half by Bewear and then fed to the Frillish than throw in the towel and bail. What I have planned for this story is just TOO DAMN GOOD to even consider abandoning it. I didn't go through the trouble of hyping up the Crisis, introducing the mystery of the treasures of the Lake Trio, and bringing in new OCs for nothing. I just need some time to get myself together and plan out how I'm going to continue writing. Don't worry, just because I'm putting this on an indefinite hiatus doesn't mean I'm never coming back to continue this project.

I WILL return to write more "Flight of a Legend". It'll just take an indeterminate amount of time, okay?

In the meantime, I'm going to keep my love of writing Pokemon fanfiction strong by continuing my "Pokemon Courtship" series, and possibly publishing the occasional Sun/Moon-based oneshot here and there. Also, I have a brand-new project planned that will be appearing on this site in a few days. Look forward to it!

I'll be back on this project before you know it! Until then, my ever-faithful readers!

(And please don't post reviews here, because I'm going to delete this once I post the next chapter. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or just want to wish me luck, then PM me. Good day!)

 **~ Cottonmouth25**


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